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| Excavations at the ancient cemetery at Ibbankatuwa in Dambulla, central Sri Lanka [Credit: Daily Mirror] |
He said clay pots and small vessels were among the findings that contained in the articles used by the dead. He said the finds from the graves, that were about 2600 years old, would lay bare the historical facts relating to the period prior to the advent of Wijeya.
He said he found evidence of funeral rites performed at the burial of the remains.
He said excavation project was launched about a month ago according to a concept the Director General of the Central Cultural Fund and that the cemetery would be conserved and opened for public display.
“We have not yet established the story of Wijeya with historical evidence. However, according to the Mahawansa chronicle a well-developed civilization had existed in the country even before the advent of Wijeya. The history of the cemetery runs as far back to 600BC.” he said.
The excavations were carried out under the supervision of the Office In Charge of the Dambulla Central Cultural Fund Ajith Jayasundera.
Editor's Note
Prince Vijaya was a legendary king of Sri Lanka, mentioned in the Pali chronicles, including Mahavamsa. He is the first recorded King of Sri Lanka. His reign is traditionally dated to 543–505 BCE. According to the legends, he and several hundred of his followers came to Sri Lanka after being expelled from an Indian kingdom. In Sri Lanka, they displaced the island's original inhabitants (Yakkhas), established a kingdom and became ancestors of the modern Sinhalese people. [Quoted from Wikipedia]
Source: The Daily Mirror [October 18, 2015]