Hambantota Mahagalwewa Megalithic Burial Site (හම්බන්තොට මහගල්වැව මෙගලිතික සුසාන භූමිය)

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Hambantota Mahagalwewa Megalithic Burial Site

Dating to 361–178 BCE, the Mahagalwewa Megalithic Cemetery in Hambantota spans 950 square meters. Excavations revealed 19 cist burials and clay urns containing burnt bones, iron tools, glass beads, and Black and Red Ware pottery. These findings offer vital insights into prehistoric social structures and burial traditions.

Ancient burial grounds known as megalithic cemeteries are characterized by large prehistoric stone monuments called megaliths, which served as markers for the graves of the deceased. Found across many parts of the world, these cemeteries are of immense archaeological significance, offering valuable insights into the burial practices, social structures, and religious beliefs of ancient civilizations.

The Mahagalwewa Megalithic Cemetery in Hambantota is an ancient prehistoric burial site situated near the Mahagal Wewa Reservoir, within the Mahagalwewa Grama Niladhari Division of the Sooriyawewa Divisional Secretariat Division in the Hambantota District.

Archaeological Excavations

In 2016, the Department of Archaeology conducted excavations at this cemetery, which belongs to the Megalithic Tradition and extends across an area of approximately 950 square meters.

In cist burials, the remains of the deceased, including vessels containing ashes or bone fragments along with personal belongings used during their lifetime, are placed inside a rectangular chamber formed by four stone slabs. The structure is then sealed with a flat stone slab placed over the top. Excavations at the Mahagalwewa Megalithic Cemetery revealed a total of 19 cist burial sites, of which three were excavated.

Apart from the cist burials, clay urn burials similar to those discovered at the Pomparippu site were also found outside the cist graves. These urns contained fragments of clay pottery, glass beads, iron tool fragments, and burnt bones.

Dating and Cultural Significance

Carbon dating indicates that the cemetery belongs to the period between 361–178 BCE and 371–199 BCE.

It is believed that the raw materials used for constructing the burials were obtained from gneiss rock formations located approximately 200 meters (656 feet) away from the burial complex.

Within the large burial urns, archaeologists discovered smaller clay pots. Some of these pots were sealed with lids, while others remained open. The pottery assemblage included both Black and Red Ware (BRW) pottery and Red Ware (RW) pottery, which are recognized as important cultural markers of prehistoric societies.

References

Alahakoon, A.D.M.S. (2016) ‘මහගල්වැව පුරාවිද්‍යා කැණීමෙන් පූර්ව ඓතිහාසික යුගයේ සාධක මතුවෙයි ’, දායාද – පුරාවිද්‍යා පුවත් අටුවාව , 10, pp. 1–2.
(2016) Performance Report 2016 (A summary report consisting the performance of the key divisions in the Department of Archaeology and provincial offices in the year of 2016). rep. Department of Archaeology.
(2017) Performance Report 2017 (A summary report consisting the performance of the key divisions in the Department of Archaeology and provincial offices in the year of 2017). rep. Department of Archaeology.

Also See

Pre Historic Burial Sites of Sri Lanka

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Route from Ampara to Mahagalwewa Megalithic Burial Site

Via : Uhana – Gonagolla
Distance : 28 km
Travel time : 40 minutes
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