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Loading...The Thambarawa Wewa site features Iron Age cist burials and an adjacent settlement. Excavations by Prof. Somadeva revealed compact granite chambers containing funerary urns, charcoal, and glass fragments. These findings confirm early sedentary habitation and ritual practices involving deliberate spatial organization.
Thambarawa is a small ancient reservoir located approximately 8 km southeast of Tissa, along the western boundary of Yala National Park. The surrounding landscape consists partly of paddy fields, while the southern area is covered with forest. The reservoir underwent its most recent restoration in 2023.
The bund of Thambarawa Wewa extends for about 640 meters, with spillways constructed on both sides of the embankment.
On the southern side of the tank bund, an area containing a scatter of ancient potsherds has been identified. This location was recognized as a settlement site during a survey conducted in 1999.
To the north, a concentration of undressed granite stone slabs can be observed on the ground. Although these slabs were partially buried, closer examination revealed that they had been deliberately arranged in an almost square configuration. This pattern indicates that they represent Iron Age cist-type burials.
Two excavations have been conducted at this site by a team led by Prof. Somadeva, and reports;
Excavation at Cist Burial 1
The burial number 1 was excavated in parallel to the excavation at the ancient settlement site. The burial chamber was intact when the excavation was started. The slabs are planted vertically as the sidewalls of the cist are extremely short. This condition had created limited space inside the cist chamber. The funerary urn was destroyed owing to the inadequate space of the chamber. The urn was placed inside the cist chamber at a shallow depth of about 16 cm. The extremely fragmented nature of the earthenware urn suggests two possible occurrences. The charcoal sample obtained from the inside urn proves that this cist had been disturbed at a later occasion. The objective of the excavation was to obtain charcoal for dating. No artefacts were reported.Excavation at Cist Burial 2
Another cist burial designated as cist number 2 (see Fig.) was opened to obtain another sample of charcoal to obtain an extra date. The dimensions of burial 2 are 52×39 cm. It has an oblong shape. The capstone of the chamber was misplaced at the time the excavation was started. The height of the vertical walls is 30 cm. A large quantity of charcoal was collected about 25 cm below the surface. Several potsherds and a fragment of a glass bangle were recovered.
References
- Somadeva, R. (2006). Urban Origins in Southern Sri Lanka (Doctoral thesis in archaeology at Uppsala University). Studies in Global Archaeology, Uppsala.
Also See
- Hydro Heritage of Sri Lanka
- Ancient Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
- Other Places of Interest Within Close Proximity
Map of the Thambarawa Wewa Reservoir
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Travelling to Thambarawa Wewa Reservoir
| Route from Tissa to Thambarawa Wewa Reservoir |
| Through: Galle Road Distance: 13 km Travel time: 20 minutes Driving directions: see on Google Maps. |
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