Buried treasure a myth: Archaeology DG

Colombo, May 15 (Daily Mirror) - Claiming that more than 100 incidents of illegal archaeological excavations have been reported so far this year, Director General of Archaeology Senarath Wickramasinghe said yesterday most of the illegal excavations are driven by myths of buried treasure.

He told a news conference that research conducted by the Department of Archaeology have proved that no king or any other person has buried treasure for future use.

He said there is something called "Nidan Wadula" but it is a complete lie.

"The law alone is not sufficient to prevent illegal excavations in archaeological sites. Awareness among people is also important. Buried treasure is a myth. People tend to dig for treasure wherever they find a stone pillar" he said.

The Director General said things unearthed during excavations are not treasure but artefacts.