Beli Galge, Bambarabotuwa

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A 16 m wide, west facing cave entrance (note 1), about 10 m above a stream, gives access to a first, about 21 or 24 m long and 6 m high cave chamber (note 2), which extends, getting lower and past a bend, into a second chamber which ends in a rift too narrow to enter. ETYMOLOGY: The Sinhala -Beli Galge- means Snail Shelter (but is a true cave) and is literally translated into -Snail Rock House- (beli = snail; gala = rock, stone; ge = house, home). It also had been spelled, transcribed, or edited as Bambarabotuwa cave CEYLON TRAVELLER (1974; 1983: 246) Beli Gal-Ge HARTLEY (1911), Beli galgé DERANIYAGALA (1965: 144 fig. 21) Beli-galge DERANIYAGALA (1987: 105) Beli-Galge Cave Brooks (1995 Mss no 15) Beli galgé rock cave, Bambarakotuva DERANIYAGALA (1943: 111) According to HARTLEY (1911: 197), it has … been the custom among the neighbouring peasants to dig in the soil for the water-snail shells, from which the cave takes its name, and which they burn for chunam [burned lime] to accompany heir betel. SITUATION 1911: At a travelling distance of 12 miles [19 km] north of Balangoda [N06°38'57”: E080°40'20” WGS84] and close to the tea estate of Dikmukalana [note 3] (HARTLEY 1911: 197). SITUATION 1943: Beli galgé liesnot only at Bambarakotuva in the Ratnapura district, and at an elevation of about 457 metres (obviously calculated from about 1500 feet) but also close to a stream called Badullé Äle [note 4] (DERANIYAGALA 1943: 110). SITUATION 1974: Bambarabotuwa cave lies at the foothills of Adam's Peak / Sri Pada, and in the Bambarabotuwa Forest Reserve (note 5) north (north-west) of Pelmadulla (N06°37'28”: E080°33'07” WGS84) but access is easier north of the main road from Ratnapura initially south and later west to Pelmadulla along a route through the villages of Wewelwatte, Batewela and Gerandiella (CEYLON TRAVELLER 1974: 244; 1983: 246). The motorable roads prescribe a circuituous route from the town of Ratnapura (N06°40'58”: E080°23'57” WGS84) initially wet via Welawaya (N06°42': E080°36') to Wewelwatte (N06°42': E080°33'), then south past Batewala (N06°41': E080°33', not the other Batewela N06°34': E080°38'), and eventually back east to Gerandiella (N06°40': E080°35' not the other Gerandiella N06°44': E080°40') from where one has to proceed on foot by ascending south or south-west close to the top of the ridge separating Rantnapura from Pelmadulla (N06°37'28”: E080°33'07” WGS84). The cave entrance itself lies some 500 m in a direct line approximately west (towards Kuttapitiyakanda 3179) from the summit of Kabaragalkanda and at the head of the stream rising below the -FO- of Bambarabotuwa Forest Reserve indicated on the Survey of Ceylon one-inch sheet Ratnapura (1972). SITUATION 1995: On Dikmukalana tea estate near Bambarabotuva [Bambarabotuwa] located on a minor road some 25 km east of Ratnapura (Brooks 1995 Mss, item no. 15). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1911: The cave is found in a most advantageous position for inhaitation as it is … scooped out of a solid and almost perpendicular cliff of gneiss and some 30 feet above a small rivulet, to which there slopes steeply a bank or talus of earth overgrown with trees. The front of the caves faces nearly due west; and at its southern extremity it plunges almost at right angles 79 feet into the rock. From this point it it shallows rapidly, until after a considerable inward bend, forming a second recess in the rock, it grows even narrower, and finally tapers into nothing. The rock roof is lofty in the deeper parts, and the floor of dust strewn with boulders slopes gently downward to the northern end. Although no drip ledges [note 6] has been cut, the cave seems absolutely dry within; a small wall of rough stones and earth has been built from the southern end some little distance northward; and the drip from the cliff face falls entirely clear of the interior. In fact no more comfortable cave for inhabitation can well be imagined (HARTLEY 1911: 197). CAVE ESCRIPTION 1943: The cave mouth, which is 16 m wide, opens westward and the cave extends eastward for a distance of 21 m, the roof is about 6 m above the floor and continues northward from the cave mouth as an overhanging ledge. The villagers affirm that Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy excavated the floor about 40 years ago, and a man who assisted him stated that the earth was then about 4 metres deep at the cave mouth. Ten years ago a planter, who considered the earth useful as manure, also removed quantities (DERANIYAGALA 1943: 110). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1995: Beli-Galge Cave [is] a cave / rock shelter located near to a stream with an entrance measuring 10 m by 3 m and penetrating the hill for some 5/6 m. The cave is formed in gneiss (Brooks, S J 1995.04 Mss: no 15).CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: According to HARTLEY (1911: 197), it has … been the custom among the neighbouring peasants to dig in the soil for the water-snail shells, from which … they burn for chunam [burned lime] to accompany ther betel. ARCHAEOLOGY (note 8): Excavation yielded stone age tools (HARTLEY 1911: 197-200) and … the late Mr. Parsons carried out a small excavation near the southern end, in the course of which he found some human bones and other remains now in the [Colombo?] Museum (note 9). DERANIYAGALA, P E P (1943: 110) found the original bedding too badly disturbed to ascertain the sequence but recovered numerous flakes of quartz (stone age tools) and shells of Acavus: Sifting the earth brought to light flakes of quartz and chert, lumps of graphite, a few bone points, quantities of bones of small animals, and shells of aquatic snails of the genus Tanalia. The most important discovery was the eighteen macroliths obtained superficially … DERANIYAGALA, S U (1987: 105): Beli Galge yielded human skeletal remains which were too fragmented for proper analysis.ESCRIPTION 1943: The cave mouth, which is 16 m wide, opens westward and the cave extends eastward for a distance of 21 m, the roof is about 6 m above the floor and continues northward from the cave mouth as an overhanging ledge. The villagers affirm that Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy excavated the floor about 40 years ago, and a man who assisted him stated that the earth was then about 4 metres deep at the cave mouth. Ten years ago a planter, who considered the earth useful as manure, also removed quantities (DERANIYAGALA 1943: 110). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1995: Beli-Galge Cave [is] a cave / rock shelter located near to a stream with an entrance measuring 10 m by 3 m and penetrating the hill for some 5/6 m. The cave is formed in gneiss (Brooks, S J 1995.04 Mss: no 15).CULTURAL HISTORY - human use: According to HARTLEY (1911: 197), it has … been the custom among the neighbouring peasants to dig in the soil for the water-snail shells, from which … they burn for chunam [burned lime] to accompany ther betel. ARCHAEOLOGY (note 8): Excavation yielded stone age tools (HARTLEY 1911: 197-200) and … the late Mr. Parsons carried out a small excavation near the southern end, in the course of which he found some human bones and other remains now in the [Colombo?] Museum (note 9). DERANIYAGALA, P E P (1943: 110) found the original bedding too badly disturbed to ascertain the sequence but recovered numerous flakes of quartz (stone age tools) and shells of Acavus: Sifting the earth brought to light flakes of quartz and chert, lumps of graphite, a few bone points, quantities of bones of small animals, and shells of aquatic snails of the genus Tanalia. The most important discovery was the eighteen macroliths obtained superficially … DERANIYAGALA, S U (1987: 105): Beli Galge yielded human skeletal remains which were too fragmented for proper analysis.