- Unique sediment requires preservation
- Vessagiriya identified as part of Isurumuniya
No construction will be allowed in future at the entrance to the sacred city of Anuradhapura, according to Director General of Archaeology Prof. Thusitha Mendis.
He told The Sunday Morning that Anuradhapura had a unique type of sediment that could not be found elsewhere in Sri Lanka, making it essential to preserve the entrance to the sacred city.
The Department of Archaeology has made this decision following recent excavations that revealed that Vessagiriya in Anuradhapura was actually part of what is now known as Isurumuniya.
Prof. Mendis stated that inscriptions had shown that Vessagiriya should be considered an integral part of Isurumuniya.
He noted that using the name Vessagiriya as the sole identification for the monastery was incorrect, as it had developed concurrently with Isurumuniya.
“The name should be changed,” he continued. “Currently, we use the name ‘Isurumuniya’ for only one temple near the Ranmasu Uyana. However, according to inscription evidence, this is incorrect.”
Prof. Mendis further explained that this settlement in Anuradhapura had been excavated by Dr. Siran Upendra Deraniyagala, a leading Sri Lankan archaeologist, in 1969.
Dr. Deraniyagala conducted several excavations in this area, leading to the discovery of a settlement located 40 feet underground.
This settlement has been dated to the Mesolithic period in Sri Lanka, around 5,900 years ago, or approximately 3900 BC.
“Sources have revealed that 500 monks of the Vaishya caste lived here. During the excavations carried out by the Jetavana project in 2006, much prehistoric information about the Mesolithic Balangoda people was uncovered. The first Balangoda man settled in this area, and later, Iron Age people also inhabited the site. After establishing their Iron Age settlement, they developed their culture by introducing paddy cultivation, irrigation, pottery-making methods, domestication, and village settlements,” he added.
“Following this, Arahant Mahinda Thera arrived, marking the beginning of the early historic period and subsequent settlement development. Thus, settlements from the Mesolithic to the early historic periods have been identified in Anuradhapura,” Prof. Mendis said.
Anuradhapura is a recognised World Heritage Site, famous for its well-preserved ruins of the ancient Sinhalese civilisation.