Ibbankatuwa - an unknown archaeological site

Text and pix: M. A. R. Manukulasooriya, Hiriyala group correspondent

There are several places of historical significance in Sri Lanka that are still not known among locals and as well as foreigners.

W. H. Tennakoon Banda

Close up photograph of a tomb.

The Ibbankatuwa historical cemetery that belongs to the Megalithic pre-historic era is one such place. The historical site is on the Kurunegala-Dambulla main road, 500 metres from the main road in the Galewela D.S. division.

The Ibbankatuwa site covers an area of about one square kilometre and has 42 clusters of cist tombs with a rough average of about ten tombs per cluster. The centuries- old cemetery shows that in ancient times even the dead were respected.

These structures are similar to the ones we see in today's cemeteries. These graves are enclosed with stone slabs and covered with another slab. According to archaeologists, besides the burial place, human bones and other paraphernalia such as equipment used by them have been found from the site.

Dr. Senarath Paranavithana examined the inscriptions that appeared on the clay pots found from this site had stated that they are similar to the inscriptions that appeared in the clay pots found from the Mohendajaro-Harappa civilisation. The excavations in this site were first carried out in 1970 by the then Commissioner of Archaeology Dr. Raja De Silva.

The site was again examined thoroughly by the officers of the Cultural Triangle in 1982.

In a research paper written by Prof. Bandaranayake and Raj Somadeva, a description of the cemetery has been given.

Ibbankatuwa can be considered the best investigated Megalithic cemetery in Sri Lanka. The excavated area at cluster 21 measures approximately 18 metres by 11 metres and contains 19 cists. Some of these were intact with the capstone in the place. Many of them have large Terracotta urns usually covered with a Terracotta dish or tray bowl."

The nameboard which was put up by the Central Provincial Council .

Clusters of cist tombs

Before the excavations were carried out, people had settled in this site without knowing that it was a historical cemetery where twenty-one families still live.

"These plots of lands were granted to us by the late minister T. B. Tennakoon. It was in 1976. We put up huts here and settled as we did not own at least an inch of land.

Now the officers of the Archaeological Department threaten us to leave the site.

But how can we leave the place after living over forty years? The responsible authorities should look into our plight and grant us some sort of relief", said W. H. Tennakoon Banda (62), a father of six children who lives in this site.

Although thousands of tourists pass this historical place almost everyday, no one is interested in visiting this site as due publicity has not been given by the authorities. At present this site is preserved by the Department of Archaeology.