Cambridge experts to study Pahiyangala skeleton

29 June 2012 11:00 pm

Bio-anthropologists from the Cambridge University will arrive in Sri Lanka today to conduct further research on the pre historic skeleton found at Pahiyangala, Archeology Department Excavation Director Nimal Perera said.

“The anthropologists from Britain will conduct high technology research on the fossils like DNA residues,” Dr. Perera said and added that carbon samples of the soil around the discovery area would be sent to the Beta Analytic radio carbon laboratory in Florida, USA shortly.

Dr. Perera confirmed that they believed the skeleton found in Pahiyangala was that of a prehistoric man. “It is assumed that this skeleton is from the earliest occupational levels of man,” he said.

A complete skeleton of a pre historic man was found for the first time in the country at Fahien cave archeological site, Pahiyangala, Kaluthara on June 15.

Archeology Director General Senarath Dassanayake said this was the first instance where a complete skeleton of a pre historic human was discovered in the country.

“This is the first time we found full skeletal remains of a pre historic man, earlier we found the remains known as Menikhami in Hungama Ambalanthota but it was not as complete as the skeleton we discovered now,” Dr. Dassanayake said. (Hafeel Farisz)