Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial and Grounds & Archaeological Site (කදිරවේලි ආදී මානව සුසාන භූමිය)

RATE THIS LOCATION :1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading...

Travelling from Batticaloa towards Seruwila Temple, you can reach Kathiraveli after passing Pasikudha and Vakare. Kathiraveli is a small insignificant town of farmers and fishermen. But for history, this area is known for the Pre-Historic Burial Grounds and the small but unique Vedda Community.

Vedda’s of Sri Lanka is segmented into 3 sections. Earliest Veddas, who live in the jungles, live by hunting; Gam Veddas (Village Veddas), Veddas who have given up the nomadic life settling down forming villages and taking up farming and animal husbandry in addition to hunting; Muhudu Veddas (Coastal Veddas / Sea Veddas), who had settled down in on the beaches and mixed with the local languages and traditions. Small coastal vedda communities can still be found in Vakare, Kalkuda, Vakaneri and Kathiraveli. Kathiraveli coast is home to about 20 Vedda Families belonging to the Coastal Veddhas.

Passing Kathiraweli town and travelling towards Verugal for about 1 km,  you will come across a recently built wall with a gate which surrounds the Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial Grounds. Megalithic urn burials have been excavated at this site. This included black and red ware pottery tentatively dated to the 3rd century BCE and iron tools (Senivaratne, 1984).

The steps cut into these rocks and caves with drip ledges are indications that this site was part of an ancient Buddhist Monastery in the ancient past.

References

  1. Senivaratne, S. (1984). The Archeology of the Megalithic Black and Red Ware Complex in Sri Lanka. Ancient Ceylon, 5, 237–305.
  2. Wijesekera, N. D. (1963). Beliefs & Ceremonial Associated With Death in Ceylon. Journal of the Ceylon Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, VIII (part 2), 225–244.

Also See

Map of the Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial and Grounds & Archaeological Site

Please click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map (ගූගල් සිතියම් පහලින්)
.

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.

Traveling Directions to the Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial and Grounds & Archaeological Site

Route from Trincomalee to Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial and Grounds & Archaeological Site Route from Batticaloa to Kathiraveli Prehistoric Burial and Grounds & Archaeological Site
Through : Kinniya – Mutur – Serunuwara – Verugal
Distance : 63 km
Travel time : 1.45 hours
Driving directions : see on google maps
Through : Chenkaladi – Kalkuda – Vakare – Kathiraveli
Distance : 75 km
Travel time : 2 hours
Driving directions : see on google maps

© www.amazinglanka.com

Leave a Reply