Archaeological adventures of H.C.P. Bell

By Amal HEWAVISSENTI

Harry Charles Pervious Bell (H.C.P. Bell) was the first Archaeological Commissioner of Sri Lanka and is ever remembered for uncovering Sri Lankan archaeological heritage which remained concealed in thick jungles for centuries. He broadened out new horizons in archaeological studies which set an important precedent for subsequent studies.

As Alexander Cunningham is important to India, so is Bell to Sri Lanka in his true concern for people, languages, culture and religions in Sri Lanka. H.C.P. Bell not only established the Department for Archaeology, but also provided a fine example for local scholars such as Senarath Paranavithana.

Bell was born in India in 1851.

He was sent to England for systematic education, but he refused to have university education.

In 1873, young Bell arrived in Sri Lanka as a civil officer and later became a Customs officer. While he was in Sri Lanka, he was specially interested in scholarly research.

The Report on Kegalle District' by H.C.P. Bell is the direct outcome of his thorough exploration of Kegalle district while he was the District Judge in Kegalle.

Bell and cricket

Moreover, he visited the Maldives in 1879 on an invitation from the Maldives Government, specially to investigate a ship wreck and the records of his experiences in the Maldives were highly rated. Back in Sri Lanka, Bell learnt Sinhala and Tamil languages to be better qualified at a language competency test for his post as the District Judge and for administrative functions.

Bell had a considerable appetite for cricket and he found sufficient time to engage in playing the game. Though he was trapped in a tight schedule of work as a judge and an archaeological researcher, his fancy for cricket often found an outlet.

He served as the Secretary and the Treasurer at the Galle Cricket Club from 1885 to 1886. He represented cricket teams of the Galle and Colombo cricket clubs. Here, John Still has been Bell's amicable assistant both in research work and sports. Thus, Bell provided substantial material for John Still's books on nature and he himself had been an ardent lover of flora and fauna of the country.

Discovery of Sigiriya

The British archaeologist was involved in a massive project to revitalise the moonstone, guard stone, statues, chaityas, places of worship and archaeological sites which were covered with dense forests. He attempted to associate them with the history of Sri Lanka and safeguarded them.

Had it not been for the strict surveillance and sensible moves by Bell, the bricks and other antiquities would have been removed by people for their buildings or decorations. Thus, it was a historic mission on the part of Sri Lankan legacy of the past.

In 1890, the British rulers decided to establish a Department for Archaeology considering the enthusiasm among European scholars about archaeological researches in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, H.C.P. Bell was removed from civil service and was appointed the Commissioner of Archaeological Survey of Ceylon.

Thus, the most formidable challenge before the first Archaeological Commissioner in Sri Lanka was to excavate and conserve Sigiriya. He hoped to survey the historical ruins on Sigiriya and clear the jungle growing on the ruins on the top of the rock.

In 1894, Bell clambered up the walls of steeply terraced Sigiriya rock using a ladder made of wood from the jungle.

There on the top of the rock, Bell made minor excavations.

On a site covered with thick jungle growing on the rock he realised that he had uncovered important ruins of buildings and gardens on the rock.

Bell immediately understood that protective devices and safe methods to climb up the rock were required to begin large scale excavations on the top.

In response to Bell's appeals, the department provided him with iron ladders and hand rails and he commenced the excavation work on King Kashyapa's palace.

Bell and his energetic "Bell party" (his workers) worked hard at excavations in spite of natural hardships.

They had to clamber up the rock everyday with lots of physical labour and Bell had to battle with poor supply of potable water and Malaria preying on his workmen's health.

Adventure on the rock

Bell's workers were stung by wasps and hornets in nests hanging on the precipitous walls of the rock. The violent wind and unbearable heat atop the half-cleared Sigiriya Rock sapped the workers' strength and courage. Certain superstitious beliefs among them sometimes discouraged them. However, Bell succeeded in completing exploration and excavation on Sigiriya within two years' and the exciting finds among the ruins of Sigiriya gradually displayed the layout of King Kashyapa's palace and his rock garden.

The work drew to its completion in 1985.

Bell discovered ruins of a massive lion made of bricks and the flight of steps meandering up the rock lay along the body of this brick structure of lion.

So Bell was the first to discover the 'Lion's stair case' (Sinha Sopanaya) at the base of Sigiriya. A fearless Sinhala youth clambered atop the rock for the first time after centuries of ancient history. Bell made arrangements to examine the frescoes in the cave on the eastern wall. He later recounted the perilous nature of his exploration of Sigiriya."It was far difficult to clamber on to the cave from the rocky slope below without the support of a rope, first, a rope was dropped from the edge of the cave and three strong workers held it tight.

"We had to clamber on the rope for a staggering distance of 294 feet. At this stage, a brave Sinhala youth with a rope tied around his waist, clambered on the rock like a crocodile and set the noose of the rope on a piece of rock which rested on a cavity of the rock wall. The workers held fast the other end of the rope. The next day we further fastened the rope by locking it with an iron hoop which we hurled up. Along this rope, M.C.A.L. Perera and I climbed on to the cave. M.C.A.L. Perera was the first designer in the Department of Archaeology...."

H.C.P. Bell was highly encouraged to take up the extremely dangerous challenge of clambering on the cave chiefly because of the fearlessness of the Sinhala youth. Bell, assisted by Muhandiram M.C.A.L. Perera, managed to record the paintings of the western cave on film. C.A.L. Perera, amidst unendurable asperities, offered his support for Bell in obtaining precise and excellent oil copies of the frescoes.

Apart from that Bell fixed wire nets to guard the paintings against any type of impact from outside.

H.C.P. Bell, possessed by a frenzied enthusiasm for the Sigiriya frescoes, thus clambered onto a cave located close to the top of the dangerously precipitous eastern face of the Sigiriya Rock.

The audacity exhibited by the rural young man readily provided an impetus for him to take up such a perilous adventure in quest of ancient frescoes of Sigiriya.H.C.P. Bell was a giant in Sri Lankan archaeological field.

A large amount of antiquities and curios which he had collected during his short stay in the Maldives was donated to the national museum.

According to John Still, "H.C.P. Bell is an expert in ancient coins and he has a fascinating collection of ancient Roman coins."