Cole said they weren't dead, so it does make sense it might be elves. It was a strange find in the DLC and seemed too big to be just background decoration, though we can't go near it without dying.
Cole is awesome for detective work.
Yup, I wanted so badly to get a closer look. The weird thing about that entire underground area, is that it's *not* dwarven, it's an elven facility. That's why there's elven statues everywhere. Specifically Mythal and Fen'Harel statues, and it's suggested they're together for a reason. I also find it interesting that some of the Mythal statues look different from ones seen elsewhere. It looks like Mythal is emerging from a rock, and the dragon form appears more like a sea creature. (And all the water pouring in when things start blowing up suggests the place is somewhere underwater...)
Ooh... And according to Dalish legend, Mythal first emerges from the ocean.