Page 319 - Proceedings book

Decolonizing the Narration of Sri Lankan Archaeology:
Reclaiming Indigenous Perspectives

D. Viyara Gemini Fernando

Abstract

This paper explores how to decolonize the telling of Sri Lanka’s
archaeological history by challenging the Eurocentric views
introduced during British colonial rule. Colonial scholars like
James Emerson Tennent and Henry Parker built a picture of Sri
Lanka’s past that focused on foreign influences from India and
Europe, rather than on local traditions and cultures. These views
reduced the importance of indigenous knowledge and ignored the
ways Sri Lankans themselves understood their history. This study
looks at how to replace those colonial narratives with ones that
give more space to local voices and traditions. The research uses
two main methods; a careful reading of colonial writings and, a
close study of Sri Lankan historical texts like the Mahāvaṃsa
and Cūḷavaṃsa . It finds that colonial writings often leave out or
misrepresent local ideas, while local texts and traditions offer
rich and detailed understandings of historical places. This paper
highlights the need for archaeological research to include
indigenous perspectives and support more inclusive ways of
preserving and interpreting Sri Lanka’s heritage. By doing so, the
study contributes to efforts to make archaeology more respectful
of local cultures and histories.

1. Introduction

Archaeology in Sri Lanka has long been shaped by colonial ideas. During British rule,
European scholars introduced a way of studying history that focused more on foreign

influences and less on the local culture. Writers like James Emerson Tennent and
Henry Parker gave detailed descriptions of Sri Lanka’s ancient cities and buildings,

but often explained them using outside ideas from India or even Europe (Indrapala,
2005). This made it seem like Sri Lanka’s past was not shaped by its own people but

was the result of influence from other places. These ideas served the colonial rulers by

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