Kitulgala Beli Lena Pre Historic Site

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Kitulgala Beli Lena is a major prehistoric cave in Sri Lanka where the 12,000-year-old skeletal remains of the “Balangoda Man” were discovered. Nestled behind a scenic waterfall, this archaeological treasure offers travelers a fascinating look into ancient human habitation amidst the lush, adventurous rainforest landscapes of Sri Lanka’s wet zone.

The prehistoric Beli Lena Caves are located along a steep hillside path, nestled under a rocky ledge overlooking the scenic rubber plantations of the Kitulgala Estate, approximately 2,000 feet above sea level near Kitulgala. This vast cave once sheltered the prehistoric Balangoda Man (Homo sapiens balangodensis), with skeletal remains dating back 16,000 years uncovered here.

Even earlier evidence of the Balangoda Man has been found in Fa Hien-lena, dating to around 37,000 years before present (BP), and in Batadomba Lena, with findings from 31,000 and 18,000 BP. These caves have also yielded prehistoric tools, including artifacts from 30,000 BP at Beli Lena and from 31,000 BP at Batadomba Lena.

These discoveries are significant for all of Asia, as such tools were once thought to have first appeared in Europe around 12,000 BP. The Sri Lankan findings demonstrate that the Balangoda Man had reached a similar level of technological development nearly 19,000 years earlier than his European counterparts.

According to S. U. Deraniyagala, ex-Director-General of Archaeology, Sri Lanka

… The tool kit of Balangoda Man is distinguished by the occurrence of geometric microliths, comprising small (less than 4 cm long) flakes of quartz and (rarely) chert fashioned into stylised lunate, triangular and trapezoidal forms (ibid:266-70,688-94). Such geometric microliths have traditionally been considered the hallmark of the Mesolithic period as first defined in Europe. The earliest dates for the geometric microlithic tradition in Europe are around 12,000 BP. Hence it came as a surprise when such tools were found as early as 31,000 BP at Batadomba-lena, 28,000 BP at two coastal sites in Bundala and over 30,000 BP at Beli-lena. Sri Lanka has yielded evidence of this sophisticated technological phase over 19,000 years earlier than in Europe. However this apparent anomaly has been resolved by the discovery of geometric microliths in various parts of Africa, such as Zaire and southern Africa, from contexts in excess of 27,000 BP, thereby suggesting that Europe was late in manifesting this techno-tradition due to as yet undefined reasons…..

To reach Belilena Cave, turn at Kitulgala Temple onto Lyanwatta Road and proceed up to the nearby school. From there, visitors must undertake a trek of approximately 1 kilometer to reach the cave.

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