Godavaya
Encyclopedia
Godavaya or Godawaya is a small fishing hamlet
located at the mouth of the Walawe river, between Ambalantota
and Hambantota
in the Hambantota District
in southern Sri Lanka
.
It received its name, originally Goda Pavata Pattana or Gota Pabbata Pattana (meaning 'small rock harbour') from a huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean
, at the foot of which it is situated. The original harbour town was an entrepot
on the maritime silk route from at least the 2nd Century CE.
It has been the site of extensive excavations by German
and Sri Lanka Archaeologists since the mid 1990s.
Godavaya is also the site if a wildlife sanctuary. The beach is important for nesting Leatherback turtles.
dating back to 3000-5000 BC (carbon dating has yet to be done) was discovered in an abandoned stone quarry at Godavaya, together with tools of animal-bone
and stone. In honour of the discoverer of the site, German archaeologist Oliver Kessler, the skeletons were named Olli 1 -3
The settlement of Goda Pavata Pattana, lay sandwiched on the peninsula
between the inland harbour on the Walawe river and the sea harbour on the bay of Godavaya. Trade
was an important component in the economy
of ancient Sri Lanka and Godavaya was an important maritime settlement, serving Tissamaharama
in the kingdom of Ruhuna
.
The Godavaya port probably pre-dates a Brahmi script
inscription of the 2nd century king Gajabahu I
, which states that the customs duties obtained there were dedicated to the Buddhist monastery
, the Godapavata Vihara
.
However in the Mahawamsa's chapter on ‘The 12 Kings’, it is claimed that the vihara at Gotapabbata was one of the seven monasteries that Mahallaka Naga built after his son-in-law Gajabahu's death.
In ancient times, Sri Lanka exported dark red garnet
s, which have been found as burial objects in many European graves of the early mediaeval period. Recent research reveals that most of those garnets were from India
and Sri Lanka. Godavaya had ease of access via the Walawe river to the gem mining area of the Walawe basin, which is a source of garnets.
Until the 6th century, Godavaya was an important transit port. Ships carrying merchandise from the West exchanged commodities with ships from China
carrying Silk
. Hence, ships did not need to go further than Godavaya. Articles of trade on the Walawe river shipping route and on land routes were also swapped there.
Godavaya was the seaport for the mediaeval (11th century) southern capital, Maha Nagakula which lay on the Walawe river.
archaeologists from the University of Bonn
directed by late Prof. Helmut Roth and Oliver Kessler conducted joint excavations at Godavaya with the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka, under Director General Dr. W.H. Wijeyapala and the German Archaeological Institute
(DAI). They unearthed evidence to prove Godavaya's importance in the maritime Silk Route, revealing connections from China in the East to the Red Sea
and the Mediterranean in the West.
Among the finds have been:
Normally, only the King was allowed to collect taxes. In Godavaya, the tax fees were donated to the temple for its maintenance.
The monastery area was excavated by a team under Oliver Kessler, who discovered an elevated ancient image house (Buddhu gedera) and a chapter house
(Dharma salawa) on the west side of the monastery. They found a standing Buddha
statue about 3.50 metres tall and two Bodhisattva
statues each about 1.80 metres in height. Traces of weather-resistant colouring - the source of which is unclear - are evidence that the statues date back to a period before the 8th century.
placing his trunk in lotus
flowers. Clay seals bearing the emblem of a lion
were used to seal goods and cargo as proof that the customs duty was paid.
period before the 5th century, lies in front of the huge rock, close to the ocean.
of a ship, possibly dating back to the 1st century AD. Together with the ship were found black and red ware pottery
- dating from the 1st century to the 4th Century - together with a stone throne
and coloured ball clay
for making painted roofing tile
s.
species
: Hawksbill, Leatherback, Green turtle, Loggerhead
and Olive Ridley turtle, which are all threatened. It has been proposed that the Leatherback turtles of Sri Lanka and the Nicobar Islands
form a separate, genetically distinct Indian Ocean subpopulation. Godavaya beach is possibly the best Leatherback turtle nesting beach in the island, with the largest nesting population.
A 3.85 kilometre section of the beach at Godavaya was declared a wildlife sanctuary ('Godavaya Sanctuary') by the Government of Sri Lanka under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance
on 10 May 2006. It extends 500 metres into the sea and 100 metres from the high tide level onto the land.
The seaward limit includes the turtles' aquatic habitat
(mainly coral reef
s where they forage and rest), while the land limit envelopes their land Nesting habitat.
Sri Lanka°N date=December 2010°W
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
located at the mouth of the Walawe river, between Ambalantota
Ambalantota
Ambalantota is a coastal town in southern Sri Lanka. It's located inSouthern Province in Hambantota District between Matara and Hambantota.The Walave River meets sea at near place to Ambalantota....
and Hambantota
Hambantota
Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...
in the Hambantota District
Hambantota District
Hambantota District is located on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka, in the Southern Province. It has an area of 2,593 km² and a very dry climate. The district capital is Hambantota town; the administrative headquarters are located there as well as the center of salt production...
in southern Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
It received its name, originally Goda Pavata Pattana or Gota Pabbata Pattana (meaning 'small rock harbour') from a huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, at the foot of which it is situated. The original harbour town was an entrepot
Entrepôt
An entrepôt is a trading post where merchandise can be imported and exported without paying import duties, often at a profit. This profit is possible because of trade conditions, for example, the reluctance of ships to travel the entire length of a long trading route, and selling to the entrepôt...
on the maritime silk route from at least the 2nd Century CE.
It has been the site of extensive excavations by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Sri Lanka Archaeologists since the mid 1990s.
Godavaya is also the site if a wildlife sanctuary. The beach is important for nesting Leatherback turtles.
History
The Godavaya area has been inhabited for about 7000 years. In August 2008, a human skeletonHuman skeleton
The human skeleton consists of both fused and individual bones supported and supplemented by ligaments, tendons, muscles and cartilage. It serves as a scaffold which supports organs, anchors muscles, and protects organs such as the brain, lungs and heart....
dating back to 3000-5000 BC (carbon dating has yet to be done) was discovered in an abandoned stone quarry at Godavaya, together with tools of animal-bone
Bone tool
Bone tools have been documented from the advent of Homo sapiens and are also known from Homo neanderthalensis contexts or even earlier. Bone is a ubiquitous material in hunter-gatherer societies even when other tool materials were not scarce or unavailable...
and stone. In honour of the discoverer of the site, German archaeologist Oliver Kessler, the skeletons were named Olli 1 -3
The settlement of Goda Pavata Pattana, lay sandwiched on the peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
between the inland harbour on the Walawe river and the sea harbour on the bay of Godavaya. Trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
was an important component in the economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
of ancient Sri Lanka and Godavaya was an important maritime settlement, serving Tissamaharama
Tissamaharama
Tissamaharama is a town in south-eastern Sri Lanka. It used to be the capital of the Sinhalese Kingdom of Ruhuna as early as the 3rd century B.C. Only few buildings from that period can still be seen today. The large artificial Tissa Wewa lake, which was a part of a sophisticated irrigation...
in the kingdom of Ruhuna
Ruhuna
Ruhuna is a region of southern Sri Lanka. It was the centre of a flourishing civilization and the cultural and economic centres of ancient Sri Lanka, Magama, Tissamaharama and Mahanagakula , were established here....
.
The Godavaya port probably pre-dates a Brahmi script
Brāhmī script
Brāhmī is the modern name given to the oldest members of the Brahmic family of scripts. The best-known Brāhmī inscriptions are the rock-cut edicts of Ashoka in north-central India, dated to the 3rd century BCE. These are traditionally considered to be early known examples of Brāhmī writing...
inscription of the 2nd century king Gajabahu I
Gajabahu I
Gajabahu I , also known as Gajabahuka Gamani was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka...
, which states that the customs duties obtained there were dedicated to the Buddhist monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, the Godapavata Vihara
Vihara
Vihara is the Sanskrit and Pali term for a Buddhist monastery. It originally meant "a secluded place in which to walk", and referred to "dwellings" or "refuges" used by wandering monks during the rainy season....
.
However in the Mahawamsa's chapter on ‘The 12 Kings’, it is claimed that the vihara at Gotapabbata was one of the seven monasteries that Mahallaka Naga built after his son-in-law Gajabahu's death.
In ancient times, Sri Lanka exported dark red garnet
Garnet
The garnet group includes a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. The name "garnet" may come from either the Middle English word gernet meaning 'dark red', or the Latin granatus , possibly a reference to the Punica granatum , a plant with red seeds...
s, which have been found as burial objects in many European graves of the early mediaeval period. Recent research reveals that most of those garnets were from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka. Godavaya had ease of access via the Walawe river to the gem mining area of the Walawe basin, which is a source of garnets.
Until the 6th century, Godavaya was an important transit port. Ships carrying merchandise from the West exchanged commodities with ships from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
carrying Silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
. Hence, ships did not need to go further than Godavaya. Articles of trade on the Walawe river shipping route and on land routes were also swapped there.
Godavaya was the seaport for the mediaeval (11th century) southern capital, Maha Nagakula which lay on the Walawe river.
Excavations
From 1994 onwards, a team of GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
archaeologists from the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
directed by late Prof. Helmut Roth and Oliver Kessler conducted joint excavations at Godavaya with the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka, under Director General Dr. W.H. Wijeyapala and the German Archaeological Institute
German Archaeological Institute
The German Archaeological Institute is an institution of research within the field of archaeology , and a "scientific corporation", with parentage of the federal Foreign Office of Germany-Origin:...
(DAI). They unearthed evidence to prove Godavaya's importance in the maritime Silk Route, revealing connections from China in the East to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
and the Mediterranean in the West.
Among the finds have been:
- Sassanian (PersianIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) and ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
potteryPotteryPottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery... - RomanAncient RomeAncient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
coinsCOinSContextObjects in Spans, commonly abbreviated COinS, is a method to embed bibliographic metadata in the HTML code of web pages. This allows bibliographic software to publish machine-readable bibliographic items and client reference management software to retrieve bibliographic metadata. The... - beads and bangleBangleBangles or churi are traditional ornaments worn mostly by South Asian women in India and Bangladesh, especially Hindus. It is tradition that the bride will try to wear as many small glass bangles as possible at her wedding and the honeymoon will end when the last bangle breaks...
s - brickBrickA brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s showing guild marks in the shape of an 'O' - an ancient landing jettyJettyA jetty is any of a variety of structures used in river, dock, and maritime works that are generally carried out in pairs from river banks, or in continuation of river channels at their outlets into deep water; or out into docks, and outside their entrances; or for forming basins along the...
constructed on stone pillars up to 3.50 metres high - a large ancient stone anchorAnchorAn anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
discovered underwater
Gota Pabbata Rajamaha Vihara Monastery
On top of the rock overlooking the entire area lay the monastery, the Gota Pabbatha Rajamaha Vihara, which had been a religious and administrative centre since the reign of King Gajabahu I. The Brahmi inscription on a rock next to the ancient shrine room is unique, being the sole evidence for the transfer of customs duties to a monastery in the Indian Ocean world at that period.Normally, only the King was allowed to collect taxes. In Godavaya, the tax fees were donated to the temple for its maintenance.
The monastery area was excavated by a team under Oliver Kessler, who discovered an elevated ancient image house (Buddhu gedera) and a chapter house
Chapter house
A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room attached to a cathedral or collegiate church in which meetings are held. They can also be found in medieval monasteries....
(Dharma salawa) on the west side of the monastery. They found a standing Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
statue about 3.50 metres tall and two Bodhisattva
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
statues each about 1.80 metres in height. Traces of weather-resistant colouring - the source of which is unclear - are evidence that the statues date back to a period before the 8th century.
Customs House
The team found a custom office building, decorated with ornaments showing an elephantElephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
placing his trunk in lotus
Lotus (plant)
Lotus identifies various plant taxa:* Nelumbo, a genus of aquatic plants with showy flowers** Nelumbo nucifera, the Sacred or Indian lotus** Nelumbo lutea, the American or Yellow lotus...
flowers. Clay seals bearing the emblem of a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
were used to seal goods and cargo as proof that the customs duty was paid.
Quarry
A quarry was also discovered. One big pillar covered with many drill marks dating to the middle AnuradhapuraAnuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
period before the 5th century, lies in front of the huge rock, close to the ocean.
1st century shipwreck
In late 2008, an underwater search of the seas around Godavaya, carried out by the Central Cultural Fund, revealed the wreckShipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
of a ship, possibly dating back to the 1st century AD. Together with the ship were found black and red ware pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
- dating from the 1st century to the 4th Century - together with a stone throne
Throne
A throne is the official chair or seat upon which a monarch is seated on state or ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the monarchy or the Crown itself, an instance of metonymy, and is also used in many expressions such as "the power behind the...
and coloured ball clay
Ball clay
Ball clays are kaolinitic sedimentary clays, that commonly consist of 20-80% kaolinite, 10-25% mica, 6-65% quartz. Localized seams in the same deposit have variations in composition, including the quantity of the major minerals, accessory minerals and carbonaceous materials such as lignite...
for making painted roofing tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s.
Godavaya wildlife sanctuary
Godavaya is home to five of the seven global marine turtleTurtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
: Hawksbill, Leatherback, Green turtle, Loggerhead
Loggerhead
-Locations:* Loggerhead Key, the largest islet in the Dry Tortugas, Florida* Loggerheads, Denbighshire, a village in Denbighshire, Wales* Loggerheads, Staffordshire, a small village in north Staffordshire, England...
and Olive Ridley turtle, which are all threatened. It has been proposed that the Leatherback turtles of Sri Lanka and the Nicobar Islands
Nicobar Islands
The Nicobar Islands are an archipelagic island chain in the eastern Indian Ocean...
form a separate, genetically distinct Indian Ocean subpopulation. Godavaya beach is possibly the best Leatherback turtle nesting beach in the island, with the largest nesting population.
A 3.85 kilometre section of the beach at Godavaya was declared a wildlife sanctuary ('Godavaya Sanctuary') by the Government of Sri Lanka under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance
Decree
A decree is a rule of law issued by a head of state , according to certain procedures . It has the force of law...
on 10 May 2006. It extends 500 metres into the sea and 100 metres from the high tide level onto the land.
The seaward limit includes the turtles' aquatic habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
(mainly coral reef
Coral reef
Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, which in turn consist of polyps that cluster in groups. The polyps...
s where they forage and rest), while the land limit envelopes their land Nesting habitat.
Tsunami
When the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 struck Sri Lanka, the villagers of the fishing hamlet, among them two archaeologists, took refuge in the temple on the rock. This probably contributed to the lack of fatalities, contrasting with the thousands of deaths in the surrounding areas.External links
Sri Lanka°N date=December 2010°W