NO. 49. — 1898.] ANNUAL REPORT. 



Anuradhapura. 



In Anuradhapura excavations were continued at Thuparama, at 

 " Elala's Tomb," and at Puliyankulam. 



Thuparama Ruins. 



With the completion of the buildings immediately surrounding 

 Thuparama Dagaba, the labour force was divided into two parties, one 

 continuing to unearth the countless boundary walls and ruins scattered 

 between Thuparama and Ruwanveli on the south in the " park," 

 which is bounded east and west by the " Sacred Road" and Basawak- 

 kulam tank ; the other, set to start work within the supposed 

 " Royal Enclosure," at the solitary brick building of Polonnaruwa 

 type and pillared sites adjoining it that are situated in unfelled 

 jungle a quarter mile north of the " Inner Circular Road." As usual, it 

 was found that for one building barely traceable above ground, half a 

 dozen came to light as trenches ran onwards. 



Eldla Sohona. 



The wide trenches begun in 1896 from north and east into the 

 wooded hillock commonly styled " Elala's Tomb," have been pushed 

 on until the brick wall of some structure (apparently of dagaba form) 

 has been struck, where the cutting gives a vertical height of 60 ft. 



Progress at this mound is necessarily slow, owing to the limited 

 space for working, the constant danger from falling talus, and the 

 difficulty of getting rid of " spoil." 



Puliyankulam Ru'ms. 



After finishing, cleanly, the dagaba and three vihares within the 

 inner quadrangular temenos, the gang working here attacked the 

 group of three or four ruins lying to the north of " MacBride's 

 Deviation," near the large pokuna. At this point digging is tedious 

 and laborious work ; for the site is thickly covered with trees, and 

 the buildings were originally constructed of brick and mortar (now 

 caked into a hard concrete), rising from bold stone basements, buried 

 4 ft. to 5 ft. below the present surface of the ground. The largest 

 building has still to be examined ; but it is evident that this cluster 

 — wanting at Yijayarama the sister establishment — contains the chief 

 residence of the monks of the Puliyankulama monastery. 



Sigiriya. 



The results of the third season's work at Sigiriya have been recently 

 laid before the Society in the Archaeological Commissioner's " Interim 

 Report on the Operations of the Archaeological Survey, 1897," placed 

 at the Society's disposal by Government. Briefly, the excavation of 

 the citadel on the summit of Sigiri-gala was rounded off by the laying 

 bare of the rooms, &c, along the western edge, the remaining sixteen 

 of the unique frescoes in the " pockets " above the " gallery " faith- 

 fully reproduced on canvas, and the topographical survey of the 

 ancient city (Sigiri-nuwara^ljdxtended so as to include all outlying 

 bunds, &c. 



A final season at Sigiriya in 1898 will be devoted to excavations at 

 the base of the rock and its entourage. 



