ROCK PAINTINGS AND ENGRAVING SITES IN SRI LANKA BY RAJ SOMADEVA PUBLISHED BY THE POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA 2012 REVIEWED BY HEMANTHA SITUGE

ROCK PAINTINGS AND ENGRAVING SITES IN SRI LANKA

BY RAJ SOMADEVA

PUBLISHED BY THE POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KELANIYA   2012

REVIEWED BY HEMANTHA SITUGE

E mail: hemantha.situge@gmail.com

Rock Paintings & Engraving Sites in Sri Lanka by Prof. Raj Somadeva published by the Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR) of the University of Kelaniya was launched in the latter part of last year is a monumental treatise that covers wide gamut on rock paintings and engravings sites (RPE) in Sri Lanka that hitherto remained systematically and scientifically unrecorded. The book is dedicated to emeritus Professor Senake Dias Bandaranayake who inspired Prof. Somadeva in many ways.

This magnum opus falls into two chapters. First chapter the project contains fifteen parts. It is replete with 129 figures, seventeen sites are elaborated with photographs. The Rock Paintings & Engraving sites project was funded by the Ministry of Culture & Art Affairs. The Second chapter is co-authored by Profs. Wasantha S. Weliange and R.A.L. Osborne entitled “Some Biological Aspects of Conservation and management of Sri Lankan cases”, which contains 12 figures, 4 maps and sixteen plans.

The chapter one falls into fifteen parts. The first nine are viz: Preamble, Mystery of Research, Documentation, methodology, study of RPE a prolonged pressimism. Prehistoric hunter gathers and Vedda Aborigines, Physiographic context, The contents. Technology, The tenth part Signs Symbols and Metaphors reading the icons are categorized into these parts. They are: Why Colours ? Intertexuality Vs. Intericonocity and “Dots for water” . The eleventh to fifteenth parts of the book are : Artistic quality, The lines: Non Figurative Intricacy Dating, Summary and The Sites. There are fifteen sites that are richly illustrated, photographically documented in this magnificent systematic study on RPE’s. The chapter one contains a useful account of references that is used in writing in the said account.

The co-authored chapter two comprises into nine parts. They are: Introduction, Caves and rock shelters, sunlight in caves, microbial world in caves, caves as underground biological hotspots, Sri Lanka caves. Caves painting or rock art, Threats to the prehistoric paintings and scientific study of Sri Lanka’s caves. The chapter two also contains a separate account of references utilized in the said text. The entire monumental treatise runs into 236 pages. The project RPE whilst the research and photography is done by Raj Somadeva himself Nayomi Kekulawala as his associate together with the field team has shouldered this tedious task. They are D. Gamlath, I.M. Indika, S. Chandrakumara, K. Edirisinghe, A Samanmalee, P. Ranasinghe, D. Jayaratne and A. Tilakasiri.

At page 26 of this book Prof. Somadeva states that “The first attempt at recording RPE sites in Sri Lanka goes back to the last decade of the 19^th century CE. H.C.P. Bell has reported his observations on the painted rock surfaces of two sites in Polonnaruwa District (Konnattegodagalage (fig 1.1 and fig. 1.2) and the Batticaloa District (Arangodagalge in the village Kohombalava in 1897)” It is my view that Johann Wolfgang Heydt who was an employee in the Dutch East Indian Company (VOC) in Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) in 1733 through Arnet Jansen his draftsman and painter executed plate 77 the explanation of Heydt’s found at p 63-4 of the English translation and notes provided by R. Raven-Hart’s book entitled Heydt’s Ceylon published in 1952 by Ceylon Government Colombo is the earliest attempt to record RPE sites in Sri Lanka. This record goes back to the 18^th century. Heydt/Jansen’s petroglyphs ‘hieroglyphs’ cut in stones and rocks below Adam’s peak would have been the earliest attempt to place on record, which is effaced with the whirlgig of time. Heydt’s Ceylon being the relevant sections of the Allerneuter Geegraphisch Und Topogrphischep Schau-Platz von Africa und Ost-Indien etc. published by Wilhermsclorff in 1744 in German language..

Dr. Siran U. Deraniyagala’s path breaking study entitled Prehistory of Sri Lanka Vol. I (Part 1 & 2) (1988) 2004 published by the. Government of Sri Lanka (which is not cited by Prof. Somadeva in his present book) at page 390 states thus :

“Most, if not all, of the rock art listed by Nandadeva (1986) is ascribable to the veddas, possible exception being the engravings at Doravaka- Kande and Dimbulagala". This explanation well could be applied to the rock caves discovered from the environs of the Adam’s Peak cited by J.W. Heydt and the other caves found in the area.

The recent news reports that evoked interest on ‘Divaguhawa’ or ‘Baghavalena’ in the environs of the Adams peak should be an undoubtedly an RPE which is said to have a painting of King Nissankamalla.

Another possible RPE that is already recorded is ‘Kurundaka Lena’ referred by Buddhagosha has been identified as the Karambagala, a cave near Ridiyagama, a village six miles from Ambalantota. The fragment of paintings believed to be 2^nd century BC is the oldest fresco extant in Sri Lanka (D.B. Dhanapala’s The Story of Sinhalese Paintings - 1957) This case have not been recorded as an RPE in Prof. Somadeva’s treatise.

Gamini S.G. Punchihewa in his book titled “Souvenirs of a Forgotten Heritage” 1990 has provided some sketches on Veddha art from the Hamangala, Illukpitiya Rock caves in Damana Divisional Secretary Division located in found in eight miles from Ampara. The only cave recorded found in Prof. Somadeva’s book is from Damana is Malayadikanda cave from the Register of Archaeological Monuments (ROAM) detailed out in pages 147 to 152. This is another possible RPE site, a salient omission by Prof. Somadeva in this full-fledged publication based on RPE sites in Sri Lanka.

Henry Parker has had aptly observed in 1909 in his' " Ancient Ceylon" London : “Thus there seems good reason to believe that when the monks came to occupy the caves their original residents had already voluntarily abandoned them, and like the Veddas of Anuradhapura established in village themselves. At page 40-1 of the book. Prof. Somadeva (Part III) (Physiographic contract) states that :

“The vegetation regions of zone D is dominated by both montane & sub montane rain forests & the other zones mentioned here fall into dry lowland type vegetation in which the Tropical & Thorn forests and Dry monsoon forests predominate. Individual exploitable faunal elements in these forests are numerous. Some of the faunal species such as the porcupine and the spotted deer are common to most of the physiographic zones in varying degrees (vide Deraniyagala 1992:509) Contrary to this, some restricted animal species reflect the faunal existence within the wet/dry dichotomy clear examples are the spotted deer (Axis axis), the water buffalo [Bubalis bubalis] which is exclusive to the Dry Zone and the hog-deer (Hyelaphus porcinus) which is combined only to the wet zone". Though a critically endangered species found in the Red Data Book of the IUCN 2012 the Hog Deer it was widely accepted as an introduced species for game purposes. (see: S.D. Saparamadu’s – Sri Lanka a Wild Life Interlude Volume 1 and 2 Tisara Prakasakayo Ltd )   

The pre historical excavations done in Alawala Pothgullena in District of Gampaha in 2007 where the lower jaw remains of a 17,000 year old Hog Deer commonly known as Sinhalese Wilmuwa discovered by Prof. Gamini Adikari and Jude Perera amply supports Prof. Somadeva’s insights that the local Hog Deer is no longer an introduced species.

At page 120 of the book Prof. Somadeva categorically states Fig. 1.59 ‘Probably a female tusker accompanying her baby engraved on the interior walls of the cave Doravaka kande’ This finding is baseless, cannot be considered as authentic and accurate as the Ceylonese elephant does not have a female tusker.

At page 42 Prof. Somadeva states that : “57 individual RPE sites have so far been reported in Sri Lanka Map 1.2. A list of these of there is shown in table below”. I find that only 24 sites were visited during the present project (vide: at P. 108) RPE project field survey was done only for a period of two years But none of these RPE sites are recorded by Global Position System (GPS). Out of the 57 individual RPE sites reported in Sri Lanka the status of 33 RPE sites are still not known. Though ascertaining their present status of RPE falls within ambit of chapter two of this book none of the authors of the splendid work have delved into the aspect of taking appropriate measures to save these RPE’s for posterity as a national project. This system of recording is a crying need of the hour. Another pertinent factor which is overlooked by the writes of this work are the use of diacritical marks in identifying the Sinhalese toponymy or place names or Sinhalese words of the RPE sites cited in the book.

Another shortcoming that I see in this splendid compilation is that at page 75 of the book Prof. Somadeva states that: (the foot note number 10)  “De Silva et al 2004 have made a misleading attempt to indentify this creature with the species (Calodactylodes illongworthorum )” I do not find De Silva et at 2004 enlisted among the references found in the Chapter 1 of Prof. Somadeva’s splendid book.

At page 208 of the book the Vettambugala cave, Calodactylodes illongworthorum is locally or colloquially identified as gal huna. Whereas at P 219 of the book walls of the Henewalagalge cave it is identified as maha gal huna. The first colloquial name is very likely a lapsus calamai or lapsus pennae.

Gamini Jayasinghe interprets in photo the Grandeur Of Sinhala Buddhist Art text by Dharmasena Rassapana 2003, Vishvalekha Publications (at P12) states that :

“Before the arrival of Buddhism in Sri Lanka samples of engravings or vedda rock art found in several places such as Thanthirimale, Aadiyagala, Dorawaka, Dimbulagala, Gangolla, Kotiyagala, Myella cave and Budugala etc. They cannot be identified as mature art, but these sketches help us to form an idea about prehistoric art. Some scholars believe, that these artistic form reflects tribal characteristics of the prehistoric man. (f.n. 21 Kala Sangarawa, Sri Lanka Kala Mandalaya 25, issue KLDA Jayasena Perani Hela Sithuwam Kalawa)” Myella cave has not been placed on record in Prof. Somadeva’s Book on RPE’s.

Lala A Aditya that renowned architect and antiquarian has had written to 1986/87 Journal of the RAS Vol. 31 in an article titled : Antiquarian Note: Dimbulagala man P 185 to 161 S.U. Deraniyagala has observed at P 161 “Dimbulagala man holding a Bo leaf which is probably symbolic of bringing the sapling of India I suspect that this is depiction of the event by the then Proto-historic inhabitants of Dimbulagala. These are probabilities but rather high ones”.

Dr. Nandadeva Wijesekera in his book entited : Veddas in Transition has (p.88) stated: that: “The object of these drawings is not known. There does not appear to be any magical or religious significance underlying these as in the case of other pre-historic Europe”

The aspects of study on petroglyph’s have not been adverted to in this study on RPE’s by Prof. Raj Somadeva. “So any one couldn’t give exactly meaning to petroglyph but the common idea of that is a symbolic language”.  [Williams D. Lewis. A Cosmos in Stone Interpreting Religion and society through Rock Artamira Press Walnut Creek 2002.] The word petroglyphs is used in this book only in one occasion.

RPE project launched by the PGIAR under auspices of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs Arts has stimulated and alarmed further serious research on Petroglyphs that found in caves in every nook and corner that has remained long overdue. Vide: Petroglyphs of Urakanda Sri Lanka. A preliminary account Jayampath Senanayake & Umanga Roshani Rammungoda. Sirinimal Lakdusinghe Felicitation Volume at p.247 edited by Prishantha Gunawardena, Gamini Adikari and R.A.E. Coningham 2010 Neptune Publishers Sri Lanka.

The project RPE is a gift for posterity.  Raj Somadeva’s ROCK PAINTINGS AND ENGRAVING SITES IN SRI LANKA has carved a niche in the annals of prehistory of Sri Lanka.