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JOURNAL, K.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. V1IL 



Besides these, a good number of the tools used by- 

 carpenters and stone-cutters have been found, and it is thus 

 plain that, in addition to the potters, a large establishment 

 of other artificers was settled at this place. There is 

 nothing to show that any other persons lived at it. So 

 far as is known, therefore, the whole of the articles found 

 at this site must have belonged solely to people of the 

 labouring classes, and of inferior castes. It is very im- 

 portant to bear this in mind, in view of the evidences of 

 their state of education, and the degree of social comfort 

 attained by them, which are given below. 



The general state of most of the articles discovered is 

 wonderfully good. It is difficult to believe that the articles 

 of steel or iron, as well as bones and pieces of charcoal, 

 have been lying buried in the soil during so many centuries. 

 Some pieces of horn and ivory are apparently not as 

 much damaged as they would be by lying for a few months 

 on the ground exposed to the weather ; and a few appear 

 to be still as sound as when they were first buried. 

 It is clear from this that most of the things were very 

 quickly covered up ; but even when this is granted, it 

 is still surprising that decomposition has proceded no 

 further. The articles can only have been preserved owing 

 to the efficient drainage through the sub-stratum of 

 c gravel'; yet some bones, which were in very good con- 

 dition, seemed to be too high to be affected sufficiently 

 by the drainage. 



I must not omit to note that everything included in this 

 report, except the bricks (but including a series of inscribed 

 bricks), will be found among the articles transmitted to the 

 Colombo Museum. 



Houses, <fc. 



The dwellings of these work-people were of a rude sort. 

 About half a dozen of them have been cut through in the 

 high-level channel. They were all partly excavated in the 

 side of the gravel slope, which rose at the back of the 

 potters' working-place. In one.or two instances they closely 

 adjoined each other, and in these cases a perpendicular 

 built wall of clay or earth and gravel, about a foot thick, 

 separated the rooms. So far as could be ascertained, the 



