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The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial from the Mini-Athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka Samanti Kulatilake*, Nimal Perera†, Siran U

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The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial from the Mini-Athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka Samanti Kulatilake*, Nimal Perera†, Siran U Kulatilake, S et al 2014 The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial Ancient Asia from the Mini-athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka. Ancient Asia, 5: 3, pp. 1-8, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/aa.12319 RESEARCH PAPER The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial from the Mini-athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka Samanti Kulatilake*, Nimal Perera†, Siran U. Deraniyagala† and Jude Perera† Several shell middens of coastal Sri Lanka indicate human occupation in the mid-Holocene and are rec- ognized as being of prime importance in the archaeological narrative of the island. A salvage archaeol- ogy operation conducted at the Mini-athiliya shell midden in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, yielded ancient human remains associated with stone implements and culturally modified faunal remains. The main objective of this rescue operation was to mitigate the destruction to this archaeological site. We report the excavation strategy and dating of this mid-Holocene shell midden, while focusing on the discovery and extraction of a complete human burial that had not been disturbed by the shell mining activity at the site. This excavation is intended to serve as a precursor to systematic investigation of the coastal shell middens of southern Sri Lanka. Introduction recognized and sampled and dated in the late 1960s and In the southern coastal belt of Sri Lanka, amidst shallow early 1970s (Deraniyagala, 1992). More recently, a brief lagoons and deltas, naturally and artificially accumulated survey was undertaken in the south, which brought to shell deposits are encountered. Many shell accumula- light midden complexes at Kalametiyawa, Arabokka and tions of the island are attributed to natural processes, Weligatte (Adikari and Risberg, 2007) and several raised such as the intermittent lowering of the sea levels dur- middens along the coastal belt from Hambantota to ing the mid-Holocene (Katupotha, 1995). However, the Bundala (Karunaratne, pers.comm.). deposition of several shell accumulations in Udamalala, Sri Lanka’s inland cave sites such as Batadomba-lena Pallemalala, and Mini-athiliya are attributed to human and FaHien-lena, located in the country’s wet zone have activity (Somadeva and Ranasinghe, 2006; Perera, 2009). yielded human skeletal remains dated to the terminal A salvage archaeology operation conducted at Mini- Pleistocene through mid-Holocene times (Kennedy and athiliya, Southern Province of Sri Lanka, yielded ancient Deraniyagala, 1989; Deraniyagala, 1992; Wijeyapala, 1997; human remains associated with stone tools and culturally Perera, 2010; Perera et al., 2011). An appreciation of the modified faunal remains. The Mini-athiliya shell midden bio-cultural adaptations of people from the mid-Holocene is situated in a paddy field, where farmers had encoun- comes from the series of skeletal remains recovered from tered shell debris and isolated skeletal remains during the open-air site of Bellan-bandi Palassa located in the ploughing activities. The upper portions of the deposit Dry Zone of Sri Lanka (Deraniyagala, 1958; Deraniyagala had probably been disturbed due to agricultural activi- and Kennedy 1972, Kanthilatha et al., 2012). The site of ties since historical times. The more recent commercial Mini-athiliya and other midden complexes in this region, exploitation of the site for shell mining has highlighted present an opportunity to explore an uncharted aspect its archaeological attributes. of subsistence in Sri Lanka during the Holocene. Shell Sri Lanka’s coastal regions have been extensively sur- middens are of significant interest to archaeologists and veyed for prehistoric habitation sites over the last 150 biological anthropologists as they offer a glimpse of the years (Deraniyagala, 1992). While numerous shell depos- past, where humans successfully occupied and adapted its were observed during these surveys, shell middens of to coastal environments, exploiting aquatic resources archaeological significance have been rarely recognized in (Meehan, 1982; Ceci, 1984; Mulvaney and Kamminga, the past. However, shell middens in Mandakal-aru in the 1999; Mayer, 2009; Alvarez et al., 2011; Balbo, 2011; Biagi, north, Aruakallu in the northwest, and from the south, 2013). Several Shell middens of coastal Sri Lanka indicate Pathirajawela, Henagahapugala, and Ussangoda were human occupation in the mid Holocene (Deraniyagala, 1992; Somadeva and Ranasinghe, 2006; Perera, 2010). As such, shell middens and associated human occupation are * Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Mount Royal Uni- recognized as being of prime importance in the archaeo- versity, Canada logical narrative of Sri Lanka. [email protected] While there are challenges associated with the identifi- † Sri Lanka Department of Archaeology, Excavation Branch, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Sri Lanka cation of intentional anthropogenic shell accumulations [email protected], [email protected] (middens), multiple lines of evidence distinguish natural Art. 3, page 2 of 8 Kulatilake et al: The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial from the Mini-athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka Fig. 1: Sri Lanka and area enlarged with the location of Mini-athiliya (image courtesy of Google, 2013). shell heaps from shell middens exhibiting an archaeo- who in turn, alerted the authors and the Excavation logical signature. A shell midden is “a cultural deposit of Branch of the Archaeology Department of Sri Lanka, who which the principal visible constituent is shell.” (Waselkov, immediately initiated a rescue operation, to avert fur- 1987: 95). Also known as kitchen middens or kjokkenmod- ther destruction to this valuable archaeological site. The dinger, these deposits are undoubtedly the products of Mini-athiliya shell mining operation yielded fragmented human activity (Alvarez et al., 2011). The Mini-athiliya and mixed remains of five individuals (Kulatilake, 2009). shell midden is denoted as an archaeological site based on These human bones, commingled with faunal remains criteria outlined in investigations of early Danish schol- were identified from piles of extracted shell debris and ars and other researchers (Meehan, 1982; Mulvaney and soil. Unfortunately, the mixing due to the mining activi- Kamminga, 1999; Alvarez et al., 2011). The concentration ties precluded the recording of any contextual informa- of predominantly edible-sized shells, stone artefacts, and tion. Provenance information for these mixed burials faunal remains recovered, underscore the archaeological was only recorded as approximations through personal significance of the Mini-athiliya site. communication with miners. This paper focuses on the discovery and extraction of a complete human burial that The Mini-athiliya site and shell mining had not been disturbed by the shell mining activity at The Mini-athiliya shell midden site, designated as HMA Mini-athiliya. 2007 is located at 6° 07’ 12” North, and 80° 56’ 47” East, in the southern coast of the Hambantota District in the Excavation, stratigraphy and contextual semi-arid zone of Sri Lanka (Fig. 1). The Mini-athiliya information paddy field is situated approximately four kilometres The main objective of the salvage operation at Mini-athiliya inland from the present coast. Fluctuating sea levels was to mitigate the destruction to this archaeological site may have placed this site closer to the shoreline during and it also signified the launching of systematic investi- the mid-Holocene. Hungama, located on the main high- gations on Sri Lanka’s coastal shell middens. The second way, is the town closest to Mini-athiliya. Local informants author directed the field excavation (Fig. 2), while the first note that shells and isolated human and animal skeletal author was its consulting biological anthropologist. When elements have often been encountered in the Hatagala the excavation team reached Mini-athiliya, it was observed Buddhist temple premises, located near the Mini-athiliya that a large portion of the site was exposed and subjected paddy field. to destruction by shell mining (Perera, 2009). A parallel Shell middens have been mined, quarried, and exploited is drawn between the Mini-athiliya rescue operation and in a variety of ways around the world as a raw material a rescue excavation in Saldanha Bay, South Africa (Orton, for agricultural, construction, and commercial purposes 2013), where the upper deposits had been destroyed prior (Ceci 1984: 65). From historical times in Sri Lanka, shell to systematic excavation. As is customary in any rescue deposits have been quarried for lime-based fertilizer, archaeology operation, the primary goal of this project building material, and chicken-feed. While quarrying was to salvage and record as much information as possible in this particular site of Mini-athiliya, local shell miners before further damage accrued. The following informa- observed among the shell debris well-preserved bone tion is a summary based on the excavation project report and dental remains. They informed the local authorities, (Perera, 2009). Kulatilake et al: The Discovery and Excavation of a Human Burial from the Art. 3, page 3 of 8 Mini-athiliya Shell Midden in Southern Sri Lanka yellowish brown (Munsell 2.5YR 4/7), reflecting the hues of a waterlogged shell deposit. Its texture was character- ized by the presence of highly concentrated and well- packed dense shell debris, within yellowish brown, grey sandy silt. Stone implements, faunal remains, and charred shells were found in this context. The composition
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