The prehistoric and historical heritage in the surrounding area of Yapahuwa has been preserved in the stone caves, rock shelters, inscriptions, graves, and other ruins.. This rather unknown stone cist burial site in Yapahuwa called “Gal Sohon Kanatta” (stone tomb cemetery) by locals lies in the village known as “Pin Wewa” about 1.6 km from Yapahuwa and south-east of Maho town. This area covers about 5 hectares in extent and is located at 240 m above sea level.
A survey carried out by the Department of Archaeology and the University of Peradeniya in 1997 revealed about 109 visible burials at this site. The landscape of the study site is generally flat. This includes relatively small wash divides, depressions, a tributary of the Deduru Oya, several small irrigation tanks, and cultivated fields. Three radiocarbon dates obtained from charcoal associated with burials has indicated the site’s existence spanning between 420 BC to 20 AD.
It has been observed that the graves consist of Cist Burials as well as some Urn Burials. Unfortunately, this site has not been properly preserved and only a few Cist Burial graves can be found today which could easily be mistaken for a few random slabs of stone.
Note that the location marked on the Google Map below is an approximate location.
References
- Premathilake, R. and Seneviratne, S., 2015. Cultural implication based on pollen from the ancient mortuary complex in Sri Lanka. Journal of Archaeological Science, 53, pp.559-569.
Also See
- Prehistoric Sites of Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of Yapahuwa Ancient Megalithic Burial Site (Gal Sohon Kanatta)
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 Yapahuwa Ancient Megalithic Burial Site (Gal Sohon Kanatta)
Route from Yapahuwa Junction to Yapahuwa Ancient Megalithic Burial Site (Gal Sohon Kanatta) |
Through : Yapahuwa Rock Palace Distance : 3.5 km Travel time : 6 mins Time to Spend : 10 -15 mins Driving directions : see on google map |
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