DORAVAK LENA

Kegalle (Kegalle District - LK)
7.183300,80.216700
Grottocenter / carte

Description

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 28/04/2016

An archaeologically important rock shelter (DERANIYAGALA 2001b, 2002) or cave (DERANIYAGALA 2001b; 2002), which contained over 3 m of prehistoric deposits, is perhaps the only obvious pre-historic rock art site in Sri Lanka ETYMOLOGY: So far, I saw this site called, spelled, transcribed or edited as »Cave at Dorawaka Kanda« (DERANIYAGALA 1998) »Doravak-lena shelter« (DERANIYAGALA 2001b; 2002: 53, 63, 76 note 5) and »Doravak-lena« (DERANIYAGALA 2002: 46, 72, notes 5, 44). SITUATION 1 (DERANIYAGALA 1998): In an unidentified spatial relation »near« the town of Kegalle (N07°15'11”: E080°21'02” WGS84) and on a hill called, spelled, or edited as »Dorawaka Kanda« (note 1). SITUATION 2 (DERANIYAGALA 2001b; 2002): In the »low land wet zone« (DERANIYAGALA 2002 note) and in the vicinity of something (perhaps a village) spelled »Doravak« (sic). CAVE DESCRIPTION: None reported. CULTURAL HISTORY - rock art: According to WIJAYAPALA (2000 in: DERANIYAGALA 2002: 53), »symbols and representations of animals pecked into the walls« (note 2).

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 28/04/2016

NOTE 2: DERANIYAGALA (1998): »The transition from the Mesolithic Balangoda Culture to the protohistoric Early Iron Age has been inadequately documented in Sri Lanka. Almost invariably, the relevant transitional deposits have been disturbed due to the extraction of fertiliser from prehistoric cave habitations. Recent excavations in the cave of Dorawaka-kanda near Kegalle could somehow have resolved this impasse. According to the excavator, W.H. Wijayapala, there are indications at this site of pottery (together with stone stools) being used as early as 6300 C14 BP, and possibly the cultivation of a cereal in these contexts (ibid.: 734; W.H Wijayapala 1992 in id. ip). The final analyses and the site report pend.«

Documents

Bibliography 28/04/2016

Cavités proche

Distance (km)NomLongueur (m)Profondeur (m)
4.1Lenagala
12.2ATTANAGALLA VIHARA CAVE DWELLING
14.8KALUKOLA DENIYA CAVE
14.8YATAHA LENA
14.8HELAPITHA LENA
14.8KADIGOMUWA NITRE CAVE
21.0ALU LENA, Attanagoda
22.5PILIKUTTUWA CAVE DWELLING
24.0AA CAVE (Haafner 1810)