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Sri Lanka with Prof A Prismatic Archaeological Tour of Sri Lanka with Prof. Nancy Wilkie January 25 - February 8, 2012 A CUSTOMIZED TOUR FOR THE ALUMNI OF CARLETON COLLEGE Sri Lanka, a spectacular island in the Indian Ocean, is one of the few islands in the world that is blessed with amazing sites of immense historical and archaeological significance. Its archaeology mainly focuses on the preservation of cultural assets. Gigantic stupas - hemispherical domes surmounted with spires, palatial structures made of stone, all bear muted testimony to the epic history of this incredible island. The history of Sri Lanka spans over a period of 2000 years. Times of wars, events of religious significance, coups and trysts with foreign elements color the odyssey of the history of "Serendib" as Sri Lanka was known then. Come and be enthralled by these wonderful archaeological sites, many of which are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites (marked by ). You would be visiting 7 of the 8 World Heritage Sites on this journey. Route Map CARLETON COLLEGE FACULTY LEADER Nancy Wilkie is a distinguished archaeologist and professor who has lectured on numerous study programs throughout the world, including many to Sri Lanka. Nancy is the William H. Laird Professor of Classics, Anthropology, and the Liberal Arts, and Co-Director of the Archaeology Concentration at Carleton College in Northfield, MN, where she has been on the faculty since 1974. A graduate of Stanford University (1964), Nancy received her M.A. and Ph.D. (1975) from the University of Minnesota. She began her archaeological career in 1968 when she joined a pioneering Nancy Wilkie program of survey and excavation in the region of the Palace of Nestor at Pylos in Greece. Since then Nancy has worked on archaeological projects in Greece, Egypt, and Nepal, and has authored more than 30 articles and co-edited three books on archaeology. Nancy is currently a member of the Cultural Property Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of State. This committee advises the President on requests from foreign governments for import restrictions on their antiquities under the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing. CONTENTS WELCOME TO SRI LANKA One of the finest islands of its size in all the world - An Introduction on Page 3 SRI LANKA - A JOURNEY OF MORE THAN THOUSAND YEARS A brief History with information on Arts & Crafts, Architecture, Flora & Fauna, Fairs & Festivals & Dress. on Page 4 & 5 THE ITINERARY A momentous journey. on Page 6, 7, 8 & 9 THE COST Along with hotels selection, inclusions of the tour, terms & conditions & cancellation policy. on Page 10, 11 & 12 GLIMPSES OF SRI LANKA on Page 13 & 14 PAGE 3 Welcome to Sri Lanka - “Lanka the Blessed” -One of the finest islands in all the world. Sri Lanka is an island of many names - all magically products like precious stones and even elephants and evocative of a tropical land of exotic spices, cool misty peacocks which were exported. However in recent years highlands, sun-soaked beaches, age-old temples and lost there has been a thrust on developing new areas. One of cities. To the ancient Greeks it was Taprobane; to the these has been textile and garment manufacturing which Arabs, Serendib; to later European conquerors, Ceilao, has overtaken tea as an export earner. Zeylan or Ceylon; and in the Sinhalese tongue of most of its own people, Sri Lanka - “Lanka the Blessed”. LIVELIHOOD People of Sri Lanka always believed in simple livelihood. A teardrop-shaped island just off the southern tip of the Festivals coincided with the collecting of the harvest, and Indian subcontinent, less than 50km (31 miles) away at its the important events in the Buddhist calendar. Pageantry closest, Sri Lanka has links with the cultures of India that cannot be kept apart from the cultural traditions of Sri stretch back beyond history, but it would be a mistake to Lanka. The most renowned event globally is the "Kandy think of it as an India in miniature. Perehera", the religious-festive procession held in Kandy in July/August each year, in honor of the Tooth Relic of For the visitor, much of its enduring appeal stems from a the Buddha. It is known as a festival of sight and sound. near-unique combination of tropical sunshine and Sri Lanka is basically an agriculture based society. superb beaches with a fascinating and colorful culture epitomized by the mighty relics of ancient, vanished empires. All of this is concentrated within one tiny pack- age, just 435km (270 miles) long and 225km (140 miles) at its widest, making it easy to experience much of the best of Sri Lanka within a relatively short time. CLIMATE Sri Lanka has warm climate, moderated by ocean winds and considerable moisture. Lowlands and coastal Sri Lanka have a hot and humid climate. On the hills the climate is salubrious. Both types of climates are National Flag of Sri Lanka separated by a few hours motoring. In Colombo, the commercial capital, located on the west coast, the temperature differs from 79° F to 82° F. Relative humidity is 70% during days while at nights it reaches 90%. The lowland country enjoys a tropical climate. The climate is quite cool in hilly regions. At the altitude of nearly 2,000 metres the temperature goes down to 60° F. May, June and July are the hottest months of the year. ECONOMY Sri Lanka's traditional economy has been agricultural with rice being the main food crop. Spices, tea, rubber and coconuts were especially encouraged by the British Blue Water Lilly - National Flower under the colonial system and are still an important part of the economy. Apart from these there were more exotic PAGE4 ~~ Sri Lanka ~~ A journey of more than a thousand years. During the last one million years, when humans were in Sri Lanka's long history was the arrival of Buddhism known to have existed in various parts of India, Sri in the 3rd century BC. During this time, Anuradhapura Lanka was connected to the sub-continent on numerous became the capital city and the first Buddhist centre of occasions. The rise and fall of sea level (due to cold/ Sri Lanka, characterized by the massive dome-shaped warm fluctuations in the global climate) determined the stupas (also known as dagobas) which are built to periodicities of these connections, the last separation contain sacred relics. having occurred at ca. 7000 BC. There is secure evidence of settlements in Sri Lanka by 130,000 years The arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century ago, probably by 300,000 BC and possibly by 500,000 marked the beginning of European domination, which BC or earlier. lasted more than 400 years. The Portuguese, in control of coastal Sri Lanka for 150 years, established a trading ANCIENT HISTORY settlement at Colombo. In 1658, they were driven out Five centuries Before Christ, Sri Lanka was a land by the Dutch, and in 1796 the Dutch were supplanted throbbing with vitality and a well-ordered civilization. by the British, who controlled the country for the next Cities, palaces, reservoirs, parks, temples, monasteries, 152 years. monuments and works of art bore testament to the character, imagination, culture, philosophy and faith of In the year 1948, the new constitution went into effect, the people of Sri Lanka, the Resplendent Land. Vestiges making Sri Lanka a dominion. of this ancient civilization are abundantly extant today. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN SRI The first major legendary reference to the island is LANKA found in the great Indian epic, the Ramayana, thought to have been written around 500 B.C. The Ramayana The ancient city of Polonnaruwa tells of the conquest of Lanka in 3000 B.C. by Rama, The ancient city of Sigriya an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. The golden temple of Dambulla The old town of Galle and its fortifications ISLAND OF SINHALESE The sacred city of Kandy This large island off the southern tip of the Indian The sacred city of Anuradhapura subcontinent was occupied by hunter-gatherers until the arrival, in the 6th century BC, of the Sinhalese - a tribal The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka group of Indo-Europeans which has moved South The Sinharaja Forest Reserve through India. These people give the island the name by which it has been known throughout most of history: Sinhaladwipa, meaning 'island of the Sinhalese', which becomes Ceylon in English. The name of the country is changed to Sri Lanka ('beautiful island') when it becomes a republic in 1972. COLONIAL HISTORY From the late 3rd century AD to the middle of the 12th century, Lanka was dominated by Tamil kings and invaders from southern India. The most formative event Coat of Arms PAGE 5 Anuradhapura A marriage ritual ARTS & CRAFTS architecture in Sri Lanka. Colonial legacy can be seen in Handicrafts in Sri Lanka are made applying age-old ancient colonial buildings in the country. techniques which have been passed from generation to generation for centuries. For producing handicrafts, raw FLORA & FAUNA materials found abundantly in nature are used. Sri Lanka is an island, 65,610 sq. km in area situated Craftsmen producing handicrafts objects were always close to the southeast corner of the peninsula of India. patronized by the royal families of Sri Lanka. The Despite its relatively small size, Sri Lanka possesses a handcrafts have now become integral part of the Sri high level of biodiversity. A noteworthy feature of Sri Lankan way of life. These crafts are known for vivid Lanka's biodiversity is the remarkable high proportion of color combinations. endemic species among its flora and fauna: 23% of the flowering plants and 16% of the mammals in the island ARCHITECTURE are endemic.
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