Category: Excavation

By Chryshane Mendis         This article series would sum up some of the most important events in the journey of Sri Lankan Archaeology, milestones which changed the way we think of the past, the way we know the past and the way we see and protect the past. Milestones in Sri Lanka […]

By Priyantha Susil Kumara Marasinghe Senior Archaeological Officer Central Cultural Fund Translated by Chryshane Mendis Research Objective – Kaduruwela Fortress The main objective was to create a scale drawing of the architectural feature identified from Satellite images using the data taken from a field survey of the area. The secondary objective is the proper identification […]

By Chryshane Mendis Chryshane Mendis Excavation of the prehistoric site cave of Alugalge is conducted by the Field Archaeology Unit of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR) led by Professor Raj Somadeva and a team of Researchers from the PGIAR and University students. The excavation which is funded by the PGIAR and the National Science […]

Introduction: Holocene hunter-gatherers The archaeological project titled ‘Hunters in Transition’ initiated in the year 2009 focuses on the Holocene adaptations of the prehistoric hunter-gatherers occupied in the deep mountainous hinterland in Sri Lanka. Three separate climatic regions i.e. wet, intermediate, and dry zone which are geographically adjacent to each other has been archaeologically investigated through […]

The second phase of the archaeological investigations in the prehistoric Alugalge Cave in Balangoda has been initiated in the late February 2017. The Alugala Cave   This cave was first excavated in July 2015 and has yielded an assemblage of artifacts suggesting the prehistoric occupation at the location during the mid/late Holocene. One of the […]

By Chryshane Mendis The rise and fall of the Seethawaka Kingdom in the 16th century is one of those remarkable episodes of history where a kingdom with a short lifespan could have an effect for generations to come such as that of the short lived empire of Alexander the Great; such was the feat of […]

The Udupiyangala cave in Kalthota, Balangoda is a prehistoric habitat that was excavated by Dr. P.E.P Deraniyagala in 1936. Through that excavation, it was recorded that quartz tools and a clay pot with seeds were found. Based on that evidence Dr. Deraniyagala believed it reflected a new path in the Stone Age culture of Prehistoric […]

The second season of the hunters in Transition project by Prof Raj Somadeva was initiated between 22nd July and 4th September 2016. Two excavations have been carried out in Illukkumbura of Balangoda. The objective of the fieldwork was to investigate the adaptation of the prehistoric communities in the area to the climatic changes of the […]

Hunugalagala is a limestone cave situated on the southern slope of the central highlands in Sri Lanka. It is a mighty rock formation that has been formed through million years ago. The surrounding area of this cave had been used by the foraging communities at least 4000 years ago. Grind-stones utilized for cereal processing and […]