Fig. 2.2 A few stone tools in the geometric shape, which
belonged to the middle-stone age in Sri Lanka. They have
been made of pure alabaster stone known as ‘Bim Weed-
uru’.
Key Features of the Settlements
The prehistoric man in Sri Lanka got expanded
by undergoing adaptation to environmental
conditions different from each other. They
preferred to live in places where there were
abundant natural resources needed for food. It
has been discovered that they had lived in and
around the places such as lowland rain forests,
dry zone forests, coastal lagoons and creeks, and
hill country grasslands. They preferred to live in
areas where there was easy availability of water
and various types of stones for making their stone
tools. They had lived in open areas in dry season
and in natural caves during rainy seasons. Given
below are several prehistoric outdoor camps and
cave habitations, discovered so far.
- Minihagalkanda, Bundala, Pathirajawela
(Outdoor camps in the coastal areas) - Pahiyangala, Batadombalena, Kithulgala Beli
Lena (Lowland wet zone caves) - Pothana and Aligala in Sigiriya
(Lowland dry zone caves) - Bellanbendipelessa
(Outdoor camps in lowland wet zone) - Bandarawela, Horton plains
(Outdoor hunting places in hillside areas)
Life StylePeople of this era lived by hunting and roaming
from one place to another and gathering what
they could consume as food. Therefore, they
spent mostly a nomadic life during the whole
year. During heavy rainy seasons they lived in
natural caves.Their population consisted of a collection of
small groups. Normally one group comprised of
between 15–25 members. The maximum number
of members in such a group was believed to be
around 50.It seems that an area of 50 square metres was
enough for a family consisted of five members.
The area of the place called Church Hill, belonging
to the Stone Age found at Bandarawela is 150
square metres. It is assumed that 25 people might
have lived in that place. The area of the place,
where the community belonging to Stone Age of
Bellanbendipelassa lived in 120 square metres.
Thirty human skeletons have been discovered
from that place.The nature of the food that the people in that age
consumed was decided by the resources available
in the environment where they lived. During the
dry season they spent their time in camps which
they built temporarily in open areas.Illustration 2.1. in using small geometrical stone tools, as
shown in the above illustration, they were arranged by
attaching to a piece of wood or a bone of an animal.