Ibbankatuwa Ancient Burial Grounds
Ibbankatuwa Burial Grounds
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Ibbankatuwa Ancient burial ground lies few kilometres before the Dambulla town on the Kurunegala-Dambulla Road. An archeological Department board will indicate the turn off from the main road. The site is reached by traveling about 500m in to this road.
Ibbankatuwa Burial Grounds
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The area where the tombs have been found is about 15x15 metres. About 10 tombs have been unearthed and each tomb is separated by four stone slabs and covered by another slab on the top. This Early Iron Age burial ground has been dated to 750 BC to 400 BC. Excavations have revealed that each tomb containing personal belonging such as clay pots, beads, necklaces, etc, similar to the practices in ancient Egypt pyramids. The gemstones found in some necklaces are only found in India indicating links to India during this time.
Despite this well laid out burial grounds, no proof of any settlement in this area has been found. In contrast Anuradhpura was a highly populated town exceeded over 50ha (125 acres) in 700-600 BC but no Early Iron Age cemetery which can even remotely linked has been found. Thus it is speculated that this could belong to a small special group of people who lived in this area.
Articles
Created : March 19, 2007
Updated
October 5, 2008
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