HISTORY BEYOND MAHAVAMSA CHRONICLE MUST BE UNRAVELLED- PROF. RAJ SOMADEVA

Senior Professor of Archaeology at the Kelaniya University, Raj Somadeva said the most formidable challenge facing archaeologists today was unravelling the history beyond the Mahavamsa chronicle and that research in the last ten years had paved the way for a positive approach.

Delivering the keynote address at the fourth annual general meeting of the university’s Past Scholars’ Association, Prof. Somadeva said the history of prehistoric man in Sri Lanka went as far back as 125,000 years. He pointed out that every nation had an identity based on its history, which was studied and taught for that nation’s progress.

“We have undertaken this laborious task and it has proven a success. The main objective of the ongoing research is to establish the nation’s history beyond the Mahavamsa chronicle that has been shrouded over the course of time. It is a national programme begun in 2006, by a team of researchers who rendered a dedicated service. We who live in the 21st century should have a thorough knowledge of the nation’s history to reach its development targets. We have been conducting research into the way prehistoric man lived to find evidence of his livelihood, architecture, customs, religious beliefs, rites and rituals,” he said.

Prof. Somadeva stressed the need to include archaeology in the school curriculum and to encourage schoolchildren to carry out research.

Prof. Somadeva, Ven. Rambukkana Siddhartha Thera and scholar and actress Yasoda Wimaladharma received awards from the Past Scholars’ Association.