The Megalithic Burial Ground at Agbopura in the Vavuniya district was first discovered in the 1970s and it was reported that almost 100 burials have been discovered spread over an area of 25 acres. This land belonging to the Forestry Department is in the middle of a Teak plantation. A 25-acre area had been reserved as the burial grounds when it was discovered. The tombs at this site are marked by 4 crude stone slabs buried upright.
Agbopura in Vavuniya is one of the few Sinhalese villages still surviving after the ravages of LTTE Tamil Terrorists for 30 years. This tiny village lies on the route to Mamaduwa, about 1 km before Mamaduwa. The Megalithic site lies about 500 meters from the Agbopura junction towards Mamaduwa.
This site has been protected by the surrounding villagers even during the LTTE attacks. Still, unfortunately in June 2017, it was reported that the Forestry Department cleared this area without the knowledge of the Archaeology Department. using large excavators and Backhoes to destroy a large number of tombs. The villagers were up in arms against this government-sponsored destruction of this site which has even survived the terrorists.
According to the chief incumbent of the famous Madukanda Rajamaha Viharaya in Vavuniya, these tombs have been dated to over 150,000 years old by various studies. The site has been studied by archaeologists such as Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala and Rev. Puravidya Chakrawarthi Medhanada Thero. This is also the location where the country’s oldest skull was discovered based on carbon 14 dating.
Unfortunately, the current state of this site is not known. The marker below points to an approximate location. You may need a villager’s help to find the site’s exact location.
Also See
- Prehistoric Sites of Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Agbopura Megalithic (Sumerian) Ancient Burial Site
The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites
Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.
Driving Directions to Agbopura Megalithic (Sumerian) Ancient Burial Site
Route from Vavuniya to Agbopura Megalithic (Sumerian) Ancient Burial Site |
Via : Negaombo – Puttlam Distance : 9 km Travel time : 20 mins Time to Spend : 1-2 hours Driving directions : see on google map |