Raj Somadeva PhD Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology Introduction An archaeological reconnaissance survey was conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology in the area around Nilgiri stupa- a colossal ruined stupa- situated in the woods of the Lahugala Wildlife sanctuary of the Ampara District of the Eastern Province. This survey was initiated as a pre-requisite of the proposed restoration of the central stupa, which is the main focus of the site. Fieldwork was started on 20th June 2011 by a team consisted 1 13 archaeologists. The survey was funded by the Department of Archaeology on behalf of the Ministry of National Heritage. To approach the site, one has to follow a considerably long way from the Monaragala-Potuvil main road from its 305 kilo meter post. There is a gravel road to the right of the main road at this point leading to the Nilgiri stupa. The road is fairly good up

Raj Somadeva1 and Sudevi Ranasinghe2 1Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, Colombo, 2Researcher, Department of Archaeology, Colombo. Abstract A rescue excavation conducted in a prehistoric shell-midden identified in the littoral area of southern Sri Lanka had revealed a substantial set of information pertaining to the coastal adaptation of the prehistoric communities in Sri Lanka in c. fourth millennium BC. Seven human skeletons were excavated. The faunal remains associated with the prehistoric levels at the site show a wide range of exploitative selection of the prehistoric subsistence pattern in the dry-arid maritime littoral eco zone of the country. The article presents a preliminary account of the discovery.

The Post Graduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR), University of Kelaniya, is currently engaged in an archaeological excavation of a place assumed to be a proto historic burial site. This site is the newest addition to the fifty odd archaeological sites representing the early Iron Age of Sri Lanka. According to the surface evidence of the site it is assumed to be a clay canoe burial. The archaeological findings from Ranchamadama in Hambantota District and Kalaotuwawa in Gampaha District have revealed similar types of burials.

Applications of Geological methodologies in archeological research have been rapidly increased around the world and developed as a new field known as Geo archaeology. The field Geo archaeology provides the knowledge and the skills to understand the site formation processes, human occupations and their activities. Particle size analysis, organic matter content and phosphate analysis of sediments are commonly used techniques in Geo archaeological studies. Sediments from an excavation carried out in Varana rock shelter no 5, which is a prehistoric site were analyzed by above mentioned Geo archeological methods to study stratigraphic of the sediment layers and prehistoric human occupation.