histoy G-10 E

Fig. 5.3. The technology of melting iron has been mastered by the artisans of our country from ancient time. Archaeologists
have discovered a number of furnaces which were used to melt iron. The figure on left shows such a ruined and old iron
furnace, discovered in the Samanala Wewa area which belongs to the Sabaragamuwa province. It was operated with the
help of natural wind power. The figure on the right shows such a new furnace made by the archaeologists (rights of the
photograph belongs to Julian Julef).

could be seen, is approximately three hectares.

The eastern and western royal accesses located

focusing on the rock are of 40 hectares and 90

hectares respectively. The brick walls which

have been constructed around the city complex

for its security is approximately 10 kilometres.

Apart from this, the entire length of the moats

made around the Sigiriya rock is 8 kilometres.

All of these things have been built according to a

properly planned mathematical structure.

Hygiene and Medicinal Method

Sri Lanka has a considerable history of

medicine. Mahawamsa mentions the maternity

houses (Sivikasala) which had been built in

Anuradhapura during the ruling period of king

Pandukabhaya. The Wamsakatha mention that

king Dutugemunu had built eighteen hospitals.

We earlier mentioned the details mentioned in

the inscriptions about doctors who worked in

those hospitals in this book.

Some ancient rulers of our country had mastered

the medicine. Or else they extended their fullest

support to widen the practice of medicine. In

1982 the archaeologists were able to find some

significant evidences regarding this. They were

found when the ancient land, called Alahana

Pirivena situated in Polonnaruwa, with ruins,

was excavated. In that place ruins of an ancient

hospital emerged.

There was a hospital building of 147.5 feet in

width and 109.2 feet in length. The instruments

which were used for complex surgeries too

were there among the things discovered from

the place. Those relics show us that our ancient

indigenous medicine was much advanced.

Apart from this, information has been discovered

on medicinal texts, herbal boats, allocating lands

for indigenous doctors, growing herbal gardens.

We can understand that ancient people had

acquired a good understanding about waste

management from the remaining ruins of

lavatories.

The lavatory systems used in the palaces were

prepared to send the waste to a very deep pit. It

seems that they had acted to emit the waste in a

manner in which no any harm was done to the

environment. A gutter for unclean water too has

been discovered from the ruins in Polonnaruwa.

Special tubes were fixed in bathing ponds to

pump the polluted water out. Mahawamsa

mentions that there were seven lavatories built

in comparison to the buildings at the Alahana

monastery (Pirivena). Accordingly, it is clear

that in designing ancient buildings, the hygiene

of their users had been paid much attention to.