The Government is planning to place the protection and day-to-day stewardship of archaeological sites in the hands of community conservation committees as part of a move to develop a more people-centred approach to preserving Sri Lanka’s archaeological heritage, according to the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Deputy Subject Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake said the initiative aims to reconnect local communities with the country’s archaeological heritage, noting that many sites and artefacts had become disconnected from the public over the years.

“For many years, archaeological sites and artefacts have become somewhat detached from the public. People tended to believe that these were matters only for the Archaeology Department. That is why we have introduced a new concept of conserving archaeological sites together with local communities,” he said.

Under the proposed programme, community conservation committees will be established around sites of archaeological value, while officers from the Department of Archaeology will provide the technical expertise, administrative assistance and professional guidance required for their preservation.

“The committees are expected to oversee the protection, maintenance and management of the sites with the Department’s support. We believe that incidents of destruction, theft and illegal excavations can be reduced considerably when people feel that these heritage sites belong to them,” Dissanayake said.

According to information released by the Department of Archaeology, 510 incidents involving the destruction of archaeological artefacts, 203 thefts of archaeological artefacts and 2,360 illegal excavations in search of archaeological artefacts were reported between 2015 and 2025.