Colombo, Mar 8 (IANS); A Sri Lankan court has been informed that the skeletal remains unearthed from the largest mass grave in Mannar last year dates back to around 500 years, authorities said on Friday.

A report from a carbon dating laboratory in the US revealed that the six bone samples collected from the grave falls within the 1499 to 1719 period, reports Xinhua news agency.

The samples were sent to the laboratory after concerns were raised to ascertain if the remains were of those who were killed during the island's 30 year civil war between government troops and Tamil Tiger guerrillas which ended in May 2009.

Mannar Magistrate T. Sarvanarajah ordered authorities to make the report public when the case was taken up for hearing following a motion filed by relatives of some people who went missing allegedly during the ethnic conflict.

Sri Lankan authorities found the remains of over 300 men, women, and children in the mass grave.

The country's newly established Office on Missing Persons (OMP) funded the tests.