Artefacts of miocene era found at Aruwakkalu Archaeological Reserve
Pic and text by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe
Six hectares in Aruwakkalu will be declared an Archaeological Reservation amidst evidence of ancient habitation, State Minister of Environment Jayantha Samaraweera said.
The minister said four places in the Aruwakkalu area of Puttalam in the North Western Province would be taken over by the Department of Archaeology for preservation.
The Aruwakkalu sanitary landfill project and the Thiruwana stone quarry, located 4 km away from the site is expected to fall within the reservation area.
Speaking after inspecting the sites the minister said procedures necessary for the site to be declared an archaeological reserve were being taken. He added the sites located amidst limestone deposits were of great archaeological significance and dated back to prehistoric times.
The sites are located on a coconut estate in Serakkuliya, Aruwakkalu, Aliwala, and an old stone quarry located in the Aruwakkalu area of Puttalam.
During excavations, an ancient surveying tower, known as ' Total Station' by surveyors was unearthed. The monument is over 150ft tall and it is said that these were built around the island for the purpose of mapping during the Dutch Colonial period.
According to Deputy Director, Biodiversity Division - Sri Lanka Customs, Samantha Gunasekera artefacts dating back to the Miocene era (23.03 to 5.3 million years ago) have been discovered and the site needed to be protected.
Raj Bandara, a Research Officer of the Department of Archaeology, said the area was rich in biodiversity, adding they had identified a number of places where they discovered the tools of a prehistoric era.