BATADOMBA LENA

Batadomba Lena is located in a highland called “Vithana Kanda” within a short distance from Ekneligoda area that belongs to Kuruvita Korale. It can be reached from the Kuruwita-Sripada road starting from Ratnapura- Colombo highway. This is centered in between 6046` to 607` latitudes and 80023` to 80024` longitudes belonging to low-country in wet-zone spread from 1400 m to 1500 m of contour lines. Also this historical den is located 234 m above sea level. The surrounding land of Batadomba Lena that spans over about 35 acres has been promulgated as an archaeological reserve.

The foremost primordial fossil of modern anthropoid in South Asia has been discovered in this cavern. The first excavation was done in Batadomba Lena in 1938 by Dr. P.E.P. Daraniyagala who was then the Director of Museum of Sri Lanka Museum Department. Thereafter, this place of history has undergone several excavations conducted by the Department of Archaeology based on the information given by villagers. Until then this cavern was abandon for the wild to invade.

Both “Maha Lena” (large cave) and “Kuda Lena” (small cave) are located on a gigantic rock that would rise about 78 m tall. As a whole, this rock can be considered as a fusion of a stretch of caves that spans for about 500 m and the two caves in two extremities are larger than the others. The cavern at right side is the largest of all. “Maha Lena” would measure about 28 m long, 12 m wide at face and 8 m wide at back. “Kuda Lena” is only 9 m long and 9.4 m wide.

“Maha Lena” is spacious enough to shade easily little more or less than 1000 people at once. Through an excavation a fossilized skeleton of a woman and several tools which were used by people lived in the Stone Age have been discovered at the left wall of “Kuda Lena”. The excavations done in 1979, 1980 and 1981 were directed by Dr. S.U. Daraniyagala, the Assistant Commissioner of Archaeology at that time.

The ground near the gateway of cavern was a pit of 3.7 m deep for prehistoric experiments. Edges of it have been allocated according to seven soil layers. Three fossilized skeletons were explored from the 6th layer which is 3.1 m deep and were sent to laboratories for further experiments. The anthropoid ground was there buried under the 7th layer. Moreover, shells, stone tools, charcoal and weapons made of animal bones were uncovered by means of these experiments.

It seems that Balangoda anthropoid who was advance enough to invent and use these tools had wielded a utensil industry beside the quartz mines. Quartz splinters and nugget pieces that were found near the quartz mines evidence the skills based on industries and industrial knowledge of Balangoda anthropoid.

Chambers for Bhikkhus, Dharma-Sala and refectory are erected inside the caves in the left side of the line of caverns. It can be guessed that these caves that give ground to these edifices were of which that was interpreted together as “Ananda Lena”. In the recent past, a monk has aboded there liberating the place from unavoidable solitariness. But unfortunately for a reason unknown this thero has committed suicide by setting fire to him desolating this receptacle.

Another important fact is that fossils found in the cave belong to a time range from 11,500-29,500 years.

As Dr. S.U. Daraniyagala explains the stone-weapons discovered from the deepest soil layer excavated in Batadomba Lena are more antique than 30,000 years and, surprisingly, they are still in a great realistic condition. And it is noteworthy that the stone-weapons found in Europe are not more than 12,000 years old.

The former Chief of Chemistry Experiments in the Central Cultural Fund, Prof. Mohan Aberathna has used several shells of oyster species which are suspected to be eaten by Balangoda anthropoid in an ESR (Electron Spin Echo Response) test i.e. an archaeological experiment done to measure the conclusive time range and successful conclusions have been reached. The Assistant Archaeology Excavator, Mr. Nimal Perera did the latest excavation here in outset of 2005. Using modern technology he has analyzed more than 100 soil layers that belong to various time periods.