fhssweb – Department of Anthropology

Svaranjali 2026 – Musical Evening

fhssweb — Fri, 15 May 2026 03:37:13 +0000

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura hosted Svaranjali 2026, a musical evening celebrating the artistic talents of undergraduate students of the department, on 12 March 2026 at Sumangala Mansion, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Organized under the leadership of Prof. Sepala Samarasekara, Head of the Department of Anthropology, the event reflected the department’s commitment to holistic student development alongside academic excellence. Senior Professor Shirantha Heenkenda, Dean of FHSS, attended the event, lending prestige to the occasion and affirming faculty support for student-led cultural initiatives. Academic staff, non-academic staff, and students from across the university were also present. The highlight of the evening was a series of musical performances by Anthropology students, with additional contributions from other departments. Svaranjali 2026 stood as a testament to the Department of Anthropology’s vision of nurturing well-rounded students, strengthening community bonds and affirming the arts as an integral part of university life at University of Sri Jayewardenepura.

Prof. Sepala Samarasekara appointed Coordinator for Examinations, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

fhssweb — Fri, 15 May 2026 03:23:39 +0000

Prof. Sepala Samarasekara, Head of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, has been appointed as the Coordinator for Examinations of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

In this role, he will be responsible for overseeing and coordinating key examination activities within the faculty. With his academic leadership and experience in university administration, he is expected to support the effective planning and smooth conduct of examination processes across the faculty.

Kithul Madeema: Sri Lanka’s Traditional Kithul Tapping Recognized by UNESCO: congratulations Dr. Raveendra Withanachchi

fhssweb — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 07:59:42 +0000

Sri Lanka’s traditional practice of Kithul Madeema (Kithul Kapeema) the indigenous method of tapping sap from the Kithul palm (Caryota urens) was officially inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 11 December 2025. The decision was announced during the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in New Delhi. Practiced for centuries by rural communities, Kithul Madeema involves specialized knowledge such as identifying mature trees, climbing tall palms, preparing the flower stalk, and carefully extracting sap. The sap is later processed into traditional products like treacle (pani) and jaggery (hakuru), which are deeply connected to Sri Lankan food culture and rural livelihoods. The inscription recognizes a living tradition practiced across many regions of the country and highlights its cultural and ecological value. Dr. Raveendra Withanachchi of the Department of Anthropology at University of Sri Jayewardenepura also contributed to the documentation and scholarly work supporting the recognition of this important cultural practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvKWMU6rTSU

https://www.facebook.com/MeshaunJourneys/videos/the-beautiful-traditional-practice-of-kithul-%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%BD%E0%B7%8A-madeema-kithul-kapeema-the-a/726394663388794/

https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/kithul-madeema-kithul-kapeema-an-ancient-indigenous-technology-for-tapping-kithul-in-sri-lanka-02318

𝗙𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 – 𝗠𝗶𝗵𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲

fhssweb — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:55:07 +0000

A field visit focusing on primatological studies was conducted on 02nd February 2026 at Mihintale with the participation of fourth-year Anthropology students. This academic field activity was organized as part of the practical learning component of the Anthropology curriculum, aiming to provide students with direct exposure to primate ecology, behavior and the dynamics of human–primate interaction in a natural and culturally significant environment. Mihintale, known for its historical and ecological importance, offers an ideal setting for observing various primate species and examining their behavioral patterns in relation to human presence. The field visit was conducted under the guidance of a distinguished panel of academics including Prof. Sepala Samarasekara, Snr. Prof. Charmalie Nahallage, Prof. Michael Huffman (Associate Professor Wildlife Research Center-Inuyama Campus, Kyoto University), Prof. Hiroyuki Tanaka (Center for Human Evolution Modeling Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University), and Dr. Raveendra Withanachchi. During the visit, students engaged in systematic observation of primate behavior, including feeding patterns, social organization, movement and interaction within groups. Special attention was given to understanding the complex relationship between humans and non-human primates, particularly in a religious and touristic landscape such as Mihintale.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/189hzs1UyP/

𝗚𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

fhssweb — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:41:02 +0000

The Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura successfully organized a guest lecture titled ‘Excel-based Data Analysis’ for third-year and final-year anthropology undergraduate students. The session was held on 6th of March 2026 from 3.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. at the FHSS Computer Laboratory, Sri Sumangala Building. The lecture was conducted by Mr. Suresh Nalaka, Senior Lecturer, Department of Social Statistics, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who served as the resource person for the session. The program aimed to enhance students’ practical understanding of quantitative data handling and analysis using Microsoft Excel, an essential tool for social science research.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18tJCxxpBx/

Anthropology Students’ Field Study in Anuradhapura

fhssweb — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:36:38 +0000

A field visit was organized for the second-year and third-year students of Anthropology as part of the practical learning components of the course units Ethnology; Medical Anthropology; Religion, Art, Crafts, and Sculpture and Applied Anthropology.

The visit was conducted on 17th and 18th February 2026 in several historically and culturally significant locations in the Anuradhapura District, namely the village of Kudagama in Thambuttegama, the Anuradhapura Sacred City, Mihintale and Thanthirimale.

The primary objective of the field visit was to provide students with first-hand exposure to cultural practices, religious traditions, and material culture relevant to their academic studies in anthropology. The field visit was conducted under the academic guidance of Prof. Jayantha Jayasiri and Dr. Kanishka Wijayarathna. Through this experiential learning process, students were encouraged to connect theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom with real-world cultural settings.

Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRUmmehwg/

The International Field Biology Course 2026

fhssweb — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 11:32:27 +0000

The International Field Biology Course (IFBC) 2026 was held from 26th to 30th January 2026 at the Physical Anthropology Laboratory, Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The five-day program was jointly organized by the Center for Ecological Research (CER), Kyoto University and the Departments of Anthropology and Zoology of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The inaugural session and academic activities were conducted with the participation of Snr. Prof. Charmalie Nahallage, Prof. Kamal Ranathunga, Prof. Hiroyuki Tanaka and Prof. Michael Huffman. The program included inaugural addresses, interactive lightning talks, expert lectures, ecological field training, hands-on data collection, laboratory-based DNA analysis of field samples and a formal farewell session, integrating theoretical instruction with practical research experience in field biology and primatology. The concluding session was graced by Snr. Prof. Pathmalal M. Manage (Vice Chancellor), Snr. Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda (Dean-FHSS) and Heads of the Departments of Zoology and Anthropology and staff of the Department of Anthropology. Overall, IFBC 2026 strengthened international academic collaboration while enhancing participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical research competencies in field biology and primatology.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CFJkomYxJ/

Mindfulness session at the Kaduwela ‘Sati Pasala’

fhssweb — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 10:59:13 +0000

A one-day workshop on mindfulness practice was held at the Kaduwela ‘Sati Pasala’ on 15th September 2025. This program functioned as a practical component designed to provide students with experiential insight into the relationship between the body, mind and consciousness, key themes within anthropological studies of embodiment. Prof. Jayantha Jayasiri and Dr. Nelum Kanthilatha participated in the session along with the students. The workshop emphasized the essential role of mindfulness in life, introducing participants to the initial steps of understanding the mind’s nature and exploring the power of the mind.

රකින්නට මතු ජීවයක් පුදමු අපි තව ලේ බිඳක්

fhssweb — Fri, 12 Sep 2025 07:12:38 +0000

ශ්‍රී ජයවර්ධනපුර විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයීය මානව විද්‍යා අධ්‍යයනාංශය විසින් 05 වන වරටත් සංවිධානය කරනු ලබන ලේ දන්දීමේ කඳවුර 2025 ඔක්තෝබර් මස 02 වන දින පෙ.ව 9.00 සිට ප.ව 3.00 දක්වා අධ්‍යයනාංශ පරිශ්‍රයේදී පැවැත්වීමට කටයුතු සූදානම් කර ඇත. ඒ සඳහා පරිත්‍යාගශීලී ඔබ සැමට ආරාධනා කර සිටිමු.

One day practical workshop on physical and mental wellness

fhssweb — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 06:23:43 +0000

An outbound training session was conducted by the Department of Anthropology at the Angam Art Society premises on 15th August 2025. Main objective of this OBT session was to enhance the physical and mental wellness of the undergraduates. The session was conducted by Angampora instructor Mr. Sameera Gayashan Rubasinghe and supported by Angampora martial artist Mr. Ishara Dharmapala.

More Photos: https://www.facebook.com/100063713717148/posts/1321151430018635/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v