ECONOMYNEXT – Renowned Sri Lankan archaeologist and historian Dr Siran Deraniyagala passed away Tuesday (05) morning.
Deraniyagala, who served as Director of the Department of Archaeology from 1992 to 2001, was known for his work on prehistoric Sri Lanka. His pioneering exploration of the Anuradhapura citadel and excavations at the Fa Hien Cave (locally known as Pahiyangala) site shed much light on life in the island in prehistoric times,
Among his discoveries were clay artifacts with writing on them dating back to sixth century BCE.
His thesis on the shore dunes of Iranamadu, on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, earned him a PhD from the Harvard University in 1988. (Colombo/Oct05/2021)