Investigation of Ancient Pre-colonial Monuments in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

One of the most difficult aspects of understanding Jaffna’s history and archaeology is the peninsula’s general lack of pre-colonial monumental structures. Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, two ancient Sri Lankan cities, are surrounded by temples and stupas. These monuments date to the pre-colonial period. These historic landmarks can still be seen today. These are remarkable pieces of evidence for understanding ancient monuments and history. Even though Jaffna was once a prominent ancient trade center, no pre-colonial structures or monuments have been discovered in the region. Although temples and buildings have been mentioned numerous times throughout history, no monuments have been found. There were no previews of the study that addressed the question of why Jaffna lacked Kingdom monuments, particularly pre-colonial associated architectural structures. The purpose of this inquiry is to identify the number of pre-colonial monuments that are still in Jaffna. The second objective is to understand why Jaffna is missing kingdom-related structures like those seen in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. The thesis does not discuss the European invasion of Jaffna or its aftermath. The study was conducted in the form of a survey, with data gathered from the Archaeology Department, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. In addition, the research utilized archival material from ancient period literatures, Portuguese references, travelers’ notes, and archaeological records. The Portuguese heritage monuments and pre-colonial monuments were mapped using GIS. The analysis has revealed that the evidence from the Five Buildings is from the Portuguese period. The other eleven are pre-colonial monuments. It is clear that several of the pre-colonial monuments were altered throughout the years until the end of the Dutch period. Prior to the Dutch period, Jaffna had four periods of monuments: ancient, Chola, Jaffna Kingdom, and Portuguese. More study should be conducted to explore the structure of pre-colonial monuments utilizing ground penetrating radar.