RAVANALLA CAVE

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A cave without specified nature or character, which is characterised by an unspecified cave entrance (DERANIYAGALA 1998, 2001b, 2002, 2003), was understood to represent not only a relatively large cave (Brooks 1995 Mss, item no. 22) with unidentified dimensions but also a relatively large cavern (size unspecified) (Brooks 1995 Mss, item no. 39) where a single cleft or chamber that runs into the hill for between 13 to 15 m (Brooks 1995 Mss, item no. 39a). ETYMOLOGY: No proper cave name as such has been identified for the Ravanalla Cave (DERANIYAGALA, S U passim), which has been named after the village of Ravanaella (SURVEY OF SRI LANKA 1972: Nuwara Eliya, one-inch sheet) and possibly is not only identical with Ravana Ella Cave 2 but also with Ravan Ella Cave SIFFRE (1975) Ravana Ela Cave AGRAWAL (2007) Ravana Ella Cave 1 Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 39) Ravana Ella Cave 2 Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 39a) Ravanaell Cave Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 39a) Ravanaella Cave WILSON (1988) Ravanall Cave DERANIYAGALA, S U (1980, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001b, 2002, 2003) Rawanna, cave of Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 39a). SITUATION: The village of Ravanalla (DERANIYAGALA 1980, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2001b, 2002, 2003) is indicated as Ravanaella near N06°51'00-: E081°03'20” (Everest 1830) on the Survey of Sri Lanka on-inch sheet -Nuwara Eliya- (1972 edition) a) south-east of Ella Rock 4479 (N06°51'15”: E081°02'57”: 1365.2 m asl, Everest 1830), b) about 2.5 miles (4 km) along the road SSE of the Ella R.H. (rest house N06°52'15”: E081°02'50” Everest 1830) overlooking Ella town (N06°52'30”: E081°02'40” ±500 m, Everest 1830), and c) less than a mile (perhaps a kilometre) along the road north-east of the Rawanaella Falls (N06°50'20”: E081°03'15” Everest 1830). SITUATION 1995: Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 22) had learnt that Ravanalla Cave (Ravan Ella Cave) … is located in the upland intermediate zone to the east of Bandarwela [sic!] close to the village of Ravanella. This probabl means that this cave near (sic!) Ravanalla lies without specified spatial relation to the village of Rawanaella (N06°51': E081°04' nima.mil/geonames accessed 16.11.2003), which itself lies, generally spoken, in the upland intermediate zone (DERANIYAGALA 1956), the ecozone E (DERANIYAGALA 1988), and in one way or another approximately east of the town of Bandarawela (N06°50'13”: E080°59'08” WGS84). CULTURAL HISTORY - archaeology: Brooks (1995 Mss, item no. 22) refers to DERANIYAGALA (1980: 174) and writes that Ravanalla Cave … has been extensively archaeologically excavated over five seasons to yield a large sample of [sic! number? of] artefacts. DERANIYAGALA (1980: 174): NOT SEEN [Brooks 1995 Mss no. 22] DERANIYAGALA (1992: 465-467): NOT SEEN [DERANIYAGALA 2001b]. DERANIYAGALA (1992: 696): NOT SEEN [DERANIYAGALA 2001b] DERANIYAGALA (1992: chapter 5.3.6): NOT SEEN [DERANIYAGALA 2002: 53] DERANIYAGALA (1992: chapter 5.3.7): NOT SEEN [DERANIYAGALA 2002: 38] BROOKS (1995 Mss no. 2): Ravanalla Cave … has been extensively archaeologically excavated over five seasons to yield a large sample of [sic! number? of] artefacts. DERANIYAGALA (1998): At Ravanalla cave and Fa Hien-lena red ochre had been ceremonially smeared on the bones.DERANIYAGALA (2001b): There are … clear indications that the norm was for Balangoda Man to inter his dead irrespective of age or sex as secondary burials within his camp floors, having selected certain bones for this purpose. At Ravanalla cave and Fa Hien-lena red ochre had been ceremonially smeared on the bones … It is possible that the latter, through a process of cultural retrogression, ceased to practice the more elaborate mortuary customs of their ancestors (Deraniyagala 1992: 465-467, 696). DERANIYAGALA (2002: 32): Ravanalla cave in ecozone E has produced a large faunal assemblage, mostly of small vertebrates, which have yet to be assigned … DERANIYAGALA (2002: 38): … marine molluscan shell fragments in Mesolithic deposits of ecozoes B, E, and D1 suggest that these have been introduced as items of trade (e.g. Bellan-bandi Palassa, Ravanalla, Kabara-galge, Beli-lena Kitulgala, Batadomba-len; Deraniyagala 1992: chap. 5.3.7). There is some suspicion that the human fontal bone found in a prehistoric context at Ravanalla, with its conically drilled pits, had in fact been used to steady a fire-drill, much as the Vaddas are known to have used animal crania, and that the pitting in the former is a result of the rotary action of the vertical stick against the bone. DERANIYAGALA (2002: 53): An item of possible ritualistic import to have been discovered in a prehistoric context in Sri Lanka is the human frontal bone from Ravanalla cave (Deraniyagala 1922: chap. 5.3.6), with pits drilled in it, the rough sutural edges and a zygomatic prominence chamfered off and one aspect of the bone smeared with red ochre… DERANIYAGALA (2003): At Ravanalla cave and Fa Hien-lena red ochre had been ceremonially smeared on the bones.