New research on ancient Sri Lanka

Modern scientific techniques such as thermo luminescence dating have been used to study the ancient history. Thermo luminescence dating measures the time elapsed from the firing of the mineral bearing crystalline material present in brick and pottery. Thermo luminescent dates were compared with the historic dates. The difference between the two was less than plus-or-minus 7.

Kamalika Pieris

Bricks from different section of the Jetavanaramaya were tested. The brick paving below the stupa dated to 3rd century BC. The accepted date for Jetavana was approximately 290 AD. Thermo luminescence test dated it to 250 AD (plus or minus 125.) Thermo luminescent testing of Sigiriya potsherds indicted that Sigiriya continued to function as a city long after Kasyapa. According to the dating, the brick walls were built after Kasyapa. The accepted date for Sigiriya is approximately 487 AD, thermo luminescent date is 493 AD (plus or minus 105.)

Mirisavati bricks were tested. The thermo luminescent dates for the different phases of the Mirisawati agreed with the historical dates. Mirisawati had been renovated at least 7 times. For Nipena vihara bricks (Polonnaruwa) the accepted date is approximately 1201AD, the tests gave 1143 AD (plus or minus 65) A clay coin mould assigned to Vijayabahu I was dated 1100 AD (plus or minus 125). Tests supported the view that Maduru oya dam was built by Mahasen.

Brahmi script has long been suspected of having antiquity beyond 250 BC. Anuradhapura citadel excavations revealed potsherds which had writings in early Brahmi. Thermo luminescent dating of these showed that Brahmi had appeared in Sri Lanka in 600 to 500 BC. Anuradhapura citadel excavations (1969) had also unearthed a bone point which may have been used as a writing stylus.

Present day researchers have detected errors in some popularly held beliefs. It has been observed that Vijaya could not have got his bride from Madurai, as Geiger says. The bride came from Mathura in north India. Mathura was accessible by boat, Madurai was not. Mathura coins resembled Sri Lanka 's. A.D.N. Fernando who had traced the ancient route of the Mahaweli ganga using hydrographical surveys, pointed out that Vihara maha Devi could not have reached the south from present day Kelaniya since the shore currents went northwards, not southwards. The old Kelaniya would have been on the eastern seaboard where during the north east monsoon the long shore current went southwards and could reach Kirinde. Sena and Guttika, the horse traders, who were supposed to be Tamil, could not have been from South India. South India is not known for horse breeding, north India is.

The Trilingual tablet in Galle is not in Tamil but Malayalam. Paranavitana had mistaken Malayalam for Tamil. Cheng Ho, on his sea voyages, placed inscriptions at selected places on his route. These inscriptions were prepared in China and were set down in various foreign ports. The Galle one was prepared in 1409 in Nanjing and set up in Galle in 1411. Similar tablets have been found at Kerala and Cape Verde. They all carry statements in Chinese, Persian and Malayalam. Cheng Ho did not visit Tamilnadu.

Present day researchers say that the readings and translations of several of the inscriptions in the works published in late 19th and early 20th century are inaccurate. Muller had translated one designation in the Mihintale tablets as 'one who throws away dead flowers'. Historians reject this, saying that no one would pay a fat salary to a person simply to throw away dead flowers. Muller's translation of one title as 'a workman born in the grounds of the king' and Wickremasinghe's translation of a designation as 'servant of one year' were also rejected

Inscriptions have been destroyed on several occasions. Brohier noted that many had been destroyed by the British while restoring the ancient irrigation works. Inscriptions were also bulldozed for the Gal oya scheme. Only four inscriptions of king Lanjaka tissa were rescued, in fragments, from a single location at Kakkiela. In recent times, inscriptions found in the east such as the one at Gonagolla had been in danger from the LTTE. It was difficult to protect them. However, a news report says that 64 inscriptions were found recently in Giribawa, close to Galgamuwa.

Archaeologists have found a huge number of ruined sites with urban centres and tanks in the eastern province, together with inscriptions ranging from 3 century BC to 13 century AD. Over 40 sites with early brahmi inscriptions were found at various locations including Lunubokke, Kiripokunakanda, Moralagommana, Imbuldeniya godakanda, Pahala mawela kande raja maha viharaand Ovagiriya temple complex (near Inginiyagala-Ampara road). At Verugal (Veheragala) in Trincomalee province they found five inscriptions, one by Mahadathika Mahanaga (7-19 AD). These were the first inscriptions found there and they showed the existence of banks and market towns.

Speaking at a seminar held by the Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka, in 2009, the archaeologists noted that the east has been ignored in archaeological investigations and is was difficult to get any prior data. Archaeological remains in the eastern region and Ruhuna needed more attention than they had received up to now.

The north east has been newly explored for information on its Sinhala-Buddhist history. A map prepared in 1982 by M.H.Sirisoma, Department of Archaeology showed 21 Buddhist sites in Jaffna, four in Mannar, 105 in Vavuniya and Mullativu, 19 in Trincomalee, 22 in Batticaloa and 43 in Ampara. Ven. Ellawela Medhananda in his book Sinhala Buddhist heritage in the east and north of Sri Lanka lists 45 sites with Buddhist ruins in Jaffna district including 4 on the smaller islands. In Mannar he found 32 additional sites, of which 15 are by sea coast. Also 19 more in Vavuniya and Mullativu, 6 in Trincomalee, 4 in Batticaloa and 22 in Ampara. He said that in the east, Yan Oya valley was studded with stupas, Sembumale monastery complex spread over more than hundred acres and there are Buddhist ruins on at least 600 acres around Kudumbigala.

(The writings of C.B. Ambanwela, M. Abeyratne, H.G. Dayasiri, Bandu de Silva, S Devendra, L. Dewaraja, R.A.L.H .Gunawardana, T. Hettiarachchy, N. Kodituwakku, Elle Medhananda, G. Menezies and S. Paranavitana were used for this essay).