Abstract:
Recent excavations and surveys in the Jaffna peninsula (Sri Lanka): insights on trade and religious networks in the Indian Ocean
Among the four major ancient archaeological sites in Sri Lanka – Anuradhapura, Mantai, Tissamaharama, and Kantarodai, respectively the main capital and its port, the capital of the Southern kingdom of Ruhuna and the capital of the North – the city of Kantarodai has received less attention due to the prevailing civil war in the Northern province between 1984 and 2009. Recently (2011, 2018-2019 and 2023), excavations and surveys have yielded new evidence showing the importance of the city in local and long-distance trade networks. The results of this research will be presented here, in the broader context of the Indian Ocean exchanges.
