Browsing by Author "Dandeniya, A.S."

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Butchering Practices of Veddah; the Indigenous People of Sri Lanka
(In: Proceedings of the International Postgraduate Research Conference 2017 (IPRC – 2017), Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Weliange, W.S.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Dewage, D.; Algiriya, A.K.P.P.
The Veddah are an ethnic group of people living in Sri Lanka whose population is limited to around 5000 people according to cense carried out in 2011. They live in several villagers adjacent to their original homeland forests. Seligman brothers have reported in 1911 that Veddah have used the arrow head for butchering. In this study state of art of butchering of the modern day Veddah was studied. The study was done in Rathugala in Batticaloa District where a Veddah community lives in Rathugala village adjacent to their original homeland; Nilgala forest. A monthly field visits were done to Rathugala village during 2010 and 2011. Totally 10 field visits were made and 45 days and nights were spent in the forest with Veddah ascertaining the practices related to the hunting. The interviews were done while in the forest, figures and illustrations of the muscular anatomy and skeletal anatomy of common animals were shown initially to familiarise and to acclimatise Veddah for a long run of study. Observations were made on how a monkey was butchered to produces 13 major meat portions and 8 byproducts. Each major meat portions and byproducts have terminologies in their language. Obtaining primal cuts are exactly similar to the modern method of butchering. The Veddah are still skillful butchers. One specific tool with a sharpen edge and a point is sufficient for successful butchering. During prehistoric period people have used similar methods in butchering. The findings are useful in re-creating prehistoric life style of people. Purpose driven ethnographic studies help gather information, deepen the understanding about the indigenous groups like Veddah, increase the weight of the cultural identity and help understand the lifestyle of prehistoric man.
Discovery of an iron smelting site in Waakare, Batticaloa district in Sri Lanka
(12th Annual Research Symposium, University of Kelaniya, 2011) Algiriya, P.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Alahakoon, A.M.D.; Weliange, W.S.
Steel was being produced in Sri Lanka since 300 BC by furnaces blown by the monsoon winds, and the protohistoric Early Iron Age in Sri Lanka lasted from 1000 to 600 BC. In March 2010, a group of researchers from the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology of the University of Kelaniya, discovered a mound of iron slag in the flood prone area of the Kunjalkalkulam Reservoir in Batticaloa District in Sri Lanka. The GPS location of the particular site is obtained as (08°13'1.3'' N: 081° 24'20.4'' E) which is situated 39ft amsl. This particular site is about 10x10m2 in size and located between the Second Singha Regiment in Maankerny in Kunjalkalkulam and the Kunjalkalkulam Reservoir. Other than iron slag, pieces of a furnace were also discovered. The sizes of iron slag were less than 50cm. Pieces of iron slag were brought to the laboratory and tested for magnetism, which was proved. Also found were iron ore along the jeep track which extends from Madurankuliya to Omaliyamadu village. It was also discovered that for the construction of this particular jeep track, materials had been brought from another place close to this village. According to the visual inspections those iron ore were similar to Magnetite (FeO3). This preliminary investigation shows evidence of an iron smelting industry in this particular area. Further investigations would be needed.
Ethno-eththo of Sri Lanka, the Vanneale: Ornithology of the Veddah
(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Weliange, W.S.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Algiriya, P.; Alahakoon, A.M.D.; Dewage, D.
Interviews were conducted with Veddah; the aboriginal people in Sri Lanka, during fieldwork in 2010 and 2011. Joint observations of birds in the wild, examination of illustrations and bird calls helped generate 25 Veddah names of bird species in two Veddah homelands; Dambana and Nilgala in the Ampaara district, in Sri Lanka. Vernacular names, practical uses, food and other behavioural patterns, and folk beliefs concerning the birds were recorded. Local names dese neei erew on the behaviour; particularly their feeding pattern, place of living and colour patterns in the body. While the birds occupy almost a negligible position in the diet and subsistence activities of the Veddah, birds have important meanings in folk beliefs, spiritual and cultural life. Bird names are also found in several poems and songs. The birds are believed to convey information on unpredictable distribution of animals and their behaviour in the forest. Veddah knowledge of birds is not limited to economically important species, as is often assumed. Veddah are familiar with most discernible species. Ethno-ornithology serves as a platform for studying specific relationships between indigenous culture and endemic birds to help increase local awareness of traditional knowledge. Increasing concerns on sustainable-use and community-based strategies also emphasize the importance of ethno-ornithology, and its implications for biodiversity conservation.
Ma-Lena, a marble cave in Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Jayasingha, P.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Senanayake, S.; Champika, W.G.M.; Dewaka, R.; Welianga, W.S.
Ma-Lena which is located at the western foothills of the peak wilderness mountain range and close to Kaluganaga is an underground cave complex. The cave is situated in Guruluwana of Rathnapura District. Physiographically the cave area belongs to wet zone of the country. During a field visit the cave was scientifically explored and speleological aspects were primarily studied with an idea of carrying out a complete research study in future. Though it has several entrances two are the main which have wide mouths to the North and South. North entrance opens to a higher elevated chamber complex while the other entrance opens to a lower elevated chamber complex. Both chamber complexes are connected by vertical tunnels and small chambers at various places. In addition, several small chambers are connected to a main chamber in each complex. The cave complex is hydrologically active. Geologically, the cave is made up of impure marble of highland complex. Floated country rocks in the marble are highly weathered and some mineralized zones can be observed. The grain size of the marble varies from place to place. The formation of cave chambers is directly correlated with a fluvial weathering process. The chamber walls and ceilings are being nicely polished by the flowing water. The fluvial weathering is further evidenced by weathering features of the bed rock marble which extends up to the land surface. In addition, some elluvial deposits are brecciated. Speleothems are characterized by the presence of rim pools, cave curtains, stalagmites, stalactites, cave pearls, siliceous deposits, cave pillars, helictites and flowstones. The cave is home for mainly chiropteran bats which are definitely in thousands of numbers. Their guano deposits make a thick carpet on the floor of the chambers. In addition, insects, mollusks and shrimp species were also found in the cave stream. This cave is the largest limestone cave recorded by our team in Sri Lanka.
Present status of coastal Veddahs in Wakare, Sri Lanka
(University of Kelaniya, 2011) Weliange, W.S.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Alahakoon, A.M.D.; Algiriya, P.
The Coast Veddas or Vedar or Veda Vellalar are Tamilized indigenous Veddah people, who have adopted a dialect of the Tamil language and some of the Tamil social customs, while some original language and customs are still followed. In March 2010 Kunjalkalkulam, Thunaadi and Madurankulam areas were visited and their livelihood was observed. After the Tsunami struck in 2004, coastal Veddahs who lived in Batticaloa, Kalkuda, Maankerny, Panichchankerni, Kadiraweli, Werugal were resettled in inland areas such as Kirimichchiya, Kunjalkalkulam, Thunaadi, Kattamuvikulam, Aandankulam and Madurankulam. These Tamil speaking, resettled Veddahs belong to three caste systems such as Singhawanniyan Kudi, Ilasingha Wanniya and Warda Wellalam. They worship about 10 different gods and spirits. Presently, they live in concrete houses in small land plots and utilize the resources of the reservoirs and the surrounding dry forests. Fishing is done by men in the reservoir from August till February by gill nets and the rest of the year, women are involved in angling in the reservoir. From January to May fishing is done in Upaar Lagoon in Panichchankerny mainly for crabs and prawns and their marketplace is in Walachchane. Fishing was also done with plant ichthyotoxics. Karonkodiwel, Kukuru, Kalliya, Kokatiya and Kayan plants were used for fish stupefying. They have their own names for freshwater fishes which were analogous of Tamil language. Spatial transformation has caused them to start new survival techniques. Traditional knowledge and practices related to the coastal environment could be soon obsolete and disappear. Hence, further detailed investigations would be essential and timely in order to document their traditional knowledge and practices.
Significance of Fish in Culture of Veddah; The Indigenous People of Sri Lanka. Short running title; FISH IN VEDDAH CULTURE.
(In: Proceedings of the International Postgraduate Research Conference 2017 (IPRC – 2017), Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2017) Weliange, W.S.; Algiriya, A.K.P.P.; Dandeniya, A.S.; Dewage, D.
Archaeological excavations have disclosed the remains of nine species of freshwater fish from rock shelter sediments that confirms the consumption of fish by prehistoric man in Sri Lanka 40,000 years before now. The modern-day descendants of those earliest inhabitants or hunter-gatherers are called as ‗village veddah‘ where they live in the villagers with modern infrastructure facilities such as electricity, and are limited to certain areas of the Island. The present study was carried out to obtain the ichthyologic knowledge possessed by the modern village veddah living in Rathugala and Dambana villages in the Uva Province in Sri Lanka. During an annual circle around each full moon day for 10 consecutive poya days, the research team spent 2-3 days in the Rathugala forest, observing the Village Veddha‘s life style and gathering interpretations from them, from January 2010 to March 2011. Two of the veddahs; the chieftain of Rathugala village and his assistant contributed to the study. Fishing were done in two different seasons; in late June while pools are still running and connected to each other and late July, when pools are isolated. Ichthyo-toxic plant materials were used in fishing in pools while a long knife (18 inches) was used in fish cutting at the margins of wading streams. The fish caught were identified, counted and measured for their total lengths and preparation for cooking was observed. Nine species of plants are known to use for stupefying fish in pools by the Veddhas‘, out of them four species were used in this study. Pools which are not isolated are not suitable for fishing according to the Veddah and therefore fishing is done only in isolated pools. During the study, total of 19 different fish species were identified and 15 vernacular names were recorded. Fishing with ichthyo-toxic plants as performed by the Veddah may not be considered as a detrimental act. Veddah‘s fishing season is aligning together with drying up of the river bed where actual fishing is done at the onset of the splitting of the fish assemblage due to discontinuation of the water flow to the pool. It is disclosed that the fish who withstood the ichthyotoxicity remain till the next rain and breed and proliferate.