PM opens Prof. Senaka Bandaranaike Archaeological Field Training School

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Buddhasasana Religious and Cultural Affairs last Sunday opened Prof. Senaka Bandaranaike Archaeological Field Training School in Sigiriya. Ministers Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and Vidura Wickramanayake joined him in opening the school.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Minister of Buddhasasana Religious and Cultural Affairs last Sunday declared open Prof. Senaka Bandaranaike Archaeological Field Training School at Sigiriya.

The Field Training School built by the Central Cultural Fund at a cost of Rs. 50 million within the Sigiriya Archaeological Department premises would be the country’s premier training school for archaeologists to carry out practical and theoretical studies with residential facilities, the Prime Minister said.

The PM said that eminent Sri Lankan Archaeologist Prof. Senaka Bandaranayake had been a pioneer in the field of archeology such as environmental archeology, settlement archeology and ethnography. “He was the first Archaeological Director of the Sigiriya Project of the Cultural Triangle”.

The PM’s Office said that the Field School aimed to study historical archaeological context of Sri Lanka with pure scientific disciplines, provide the knowledge required for the objective function of scientific placement in time and space and to produce disciplined archaeologists.

This training school is also open to local and foreign archaeologists for their archeological work.

As a result of initiating archeological research on a multidisciplinary basis in conjunction with foreign universities, it was possible to identify the royal urban features of Sigiriya, identify the suburbs and factories, identify the settlement patterns of the people who lived there, and thereby study technical expertise, the PM’s Office has said.

Prof. Senaka Bandaranaike Field Training School of Archeology is equipped with lecture halls, laboratories and residential facilities.

Minister Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, State Minister Vidura Wickramanayake, Members of Parliament Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon, Rohana Kumara Dissanayake, Governor of the Central Province Lalith U. Gamage, Dambulla Mayor Jaliya Opatha, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana Religious and Cultural Affairs Prof. Kapila Gunawardena were present on the occasion.