The Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura managed to offer the Underwater Archaeology training program for the third year Archaeology special degree students, from 25th of July – 31st July 2022, at the Maritime Archaeology Unit (MAU) of the Central Cultural Fund in Galle. Under the guidance of the Head of the Department, Prof. Karunasena Hettiarachchi, the students were offered the training program following the necessary health guidelines amidst the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation and the severe economic crisis in the country.
The undergraduates successfully managed to acquire field experience on the theoretical knowledge they learned in the classroom, such as Underwater Archaeology excavations, Galle Harbour, Avondster Project and In-situ Conservation, Underwater Cultural Heritage Management, Legislations and Conventions on Underwater Archaeology, Underwater Archaeological explorations, Maritime Archaeology in Sri Lankan context, Godawaya shipwreck site, Conservation and Underwater Photography, and so on. Furthermore, each evening had been dedicated to swimming and diving practices, which were carefully supervised by the MAU officers.
The Department of History and Archaeology would like to thank the Vice-Chancellor of the USJ, Senior Professor Sudantha Liyanage and the Dean of the FHSS, Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda, for making the necessary arrangements to realize this training program. Furthermore, the department expresses its gratitude to the Director-General of the Central Cultural Fund of Sri Lanka, Prof. Gamini Ranasinghe, for allowing this training program and the officer in charge of the MAU in Galle, Mr. W.M. Chandraratna, Mr. Rasika Mutucumarana (Senior Archaeological officer) and their staff for executing this training program, taking care of our students and tirelessly offering them with relevant practical knowledge.
