6000 year grains unearthed

16 January 2016 03:31 am - 18 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

A A A

A team of researchers from the Archaeological Faculty of the Kelaniya University lead by Prof. Raj Somadewa has discovered a kind of grains of more than 6000 years during excavations on the Ilukkumbura area in Balangoda which was the seat of an ancient civilization.

Prof, Somadewa said it was evident that the staple diet of the earliest inhabitants of the county comprised of rice, herbs and fruits. He pointed out that the kind of paddy he discovered had evolved into the present varieties of paddy cultivated in the country. He refused the notion that the variety of paddy cultivated in Sri Lanka had an Indian origin.

“We discovered several kinds of grains including paddy, during excavations. We referred specimens to the Beta Analytics Corporation in Florida for laboratory tests to determine the chronology. They have reported that the history of paddy runs as far back as 4350BC. It is evident that the pre-historic man who lived about 6000 years ago had given up hunting and switched to vegetarian diet. The varieties of paddy might have been improved later into the present varieties,” he said.

He also said the botanists in Colombo were not in a position to identify the grains. However the Beta Analytics Corporation had sent their report in two weeks. He said that his team would carry out further research on all wild paddy and other seeds. (Prince Ratnayake)

Order Gifts and Flowers to Sri Lanka. See Kapruka's top selling online shopping categories such as Toys, Grocery, Kids Toys, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Clothing and Electronics. Also see Kapruka's unique online services such as Money Remittence,Astrology, Courier/Delivery, Medicine Delivery and over 700 top brands. Also get products from Amazon & Ebay via Kapruka Gloabal Shop into Sri Lanka

Comments - 18

former Minister of National Heritage Saturday, 16 January 2016 11:10 PM

more than 6000 years??? Our ayyala are really good to give numbers...

vni Sunday, 17 January 2016 07:26 PM

Millions of years ago, like everybody else, we were apes and not lions.

Thanos Sunday, 17 January 2016 06:10 PM

Its just that. A STORY. Sri Lankan history did not start with Vijaya and Kuweni.

kumar Sunday, 17 January 2016 04:15 PM

So what about Lion blood story, then?

Rohan Sunday, 17 January 2016 12:45 PM

Must be a place like Mattala!

Cobra Sunday, 17 January 2016 08:07 AM

How come at the present time paddy gets spoiled after a few months of storage? This shows that our ancients knew the science of storage and preservation.

gayan Sunday, 17 January 2016 12:02 AM

Another case for FCID.

Civilized Man Saturday, 16 January 2016 11:44 PM

Very Interesting fact, soon they will also discover those people who lived 6000 years ago in Balangoda spoke Tamil.

V.Carlos Saturday, 16 January 2016 11:15 PM

i wonder if pizza hut was founded at that time.

Thanos Saturday, 16 January 2016 10:17 AM

Congratulation! Some good news for a change.

Vipula ratna Saturday, 16 January 2016 10:46 PM

Great discovery to emphasized our unique heritage and origin. Thank you Professor and the team.

Lanka Saturday, 16 January 2016 09:29 PM

Very interesting....looking forward to more on this research news.

vini Saturday, 16 January 2016 08:27 PM

Well done, Prof Indiana Jones.

Dee Saturday, 16 January 2016 05:34 PM

Good. It can be well preserved at the fully equipped storage facilities in MRIA.

Patriot Saturday, 16 January 2016 05:01 PM

Congratulations for this important finding. I hope these seeds might have preserved well till today. So if an expert do a DNA analysis of these seeds, it may be the best way to identify the plant species.

Aralia Saturday, 16 January 2016 04:28 PM

Another discovery which proves that the Hela Civilization exhisted long before Wijaya came

Hiran Saturday, 16 January 2016 04:24 PM

There is enough and more evidence to suggest that there was an advanced civilization in Sri Lanka thousands of years ago.In fact evidence from balangoda itself suggest that hominins which are anatomically similar to modern humans roamed this island even before the ice age. So why are we still taught that we come from a bandit king from India?

Civilized man Saturday, 16 January 2016 03:39 PM

The pre-historic man who lived about 6000 years ago had given up hunting and switched to vegetarian diet. They were more humane then us.

Add comment
Comments will be edited (grammar, spelling and slang) and authorized at the discretion of Daily Mirror online. The website also has the right not to publish selected comments.

6000 year grains unearthed

Comments - 18

Add comment

RECOMMENDED

UDA owned land in Thalawathugoda; UDA Minister Prasanna Ranatunga under the spotlight for forceful occupation of reserved land

Loss-making SMIB faces political pressure in recovering loans

Baltimore Bridge Collapse: MV Dali, SL authorities anchored in mystery?

Has Sri Lanka become a potential hub for the illegal wildlife trade?

Spotlight on Moragahakanda Development Project Moragolla villagers lose livelihoods and down to one meal a day

Ambitious Sri Lankan jobseekers ‘trafficked into Ukraine war zones’

Western purple-faced langurs see blue!

Most Viewed in News

A US “Kaputa”, a Lankan “Nariya” and a Presidential “Feast”

Belgian traveller scammed in Kalutara

SL on alert on possible genocide allegations by Canada

Former MP Palitha Thewarapperuma dies from electrocution

Complaint lodged over Piumi Hansamali's possession of Gota’s Range Rover

New Visa procedure implemented

MIRROR CRICKET

TODAY'S HEADLINES