HISTORIC EARTHEN TUB CEMETERY, ENVIRONS TO BE A TOURISM ZONE

The Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council has taken steps to develop the historic Ranchamadama earthen tub cemetery and its environs as a tourism zone. The Department of Archaeology has already named the cemetery an archaeological site.

Famed archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadewa who discovered the clay tub cemetery that dates back to the 3225 BC and Governor Dhamma Dissanayake visited the site to decide on the preliminary requirements needed to implement the project.

Prof. Somadewa, who came across the historic cemetery during excavations that took place in 2017, said the items excavated included earthen tubs containing ashes of humans and remnants of coal and debris of clay pots. He thinks

a human habitat existed in the Udaranchamadama hilly area about a kilometre away from the cemetery and that the foundation of a house that was built as far back as 3356 BC was among the ruins that were dug up.

Governor Dissanayake said the cemetery would be separated from its present location of Ranchamadama Maha Vidyalaya ground and annexed to the proposed tourism zone and kept open for local and foreign tourists and for researchers. He said the project would be implemented with the help of the Department of Archaeology and the Ministry of Tourism.

Chief Secretary D. M. Malini, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Education Chamara Bamunuarachchi and Deputy Chief Secretaries Parakrama Piyasena, and Ajith Panagoda were present during the inspection.