No. 58.— 1907.] 



ANNUAL REPORT. 



127 



As in previous years, other important areas at Anuradhapura 

 and Mihintale had to be left uncleared for want of sufficient funds 

 to sweep all. 



The Government has been moved to augment the annual 

 grant. * 



(2) Excavations. 



By the order of the Government, excavation at untouched sites 

 was temporarily suspended during 1904 and 1905, and the 

 Archssological vote reduced in proportion. 



The Department " harked back " to the re-cleaning of the very 

 numerous sites, which had been excavated in the fifteen years 

 since the Archaeological Survey was commenced in 1900, and 

 much needed fresh attention. 



Since January, 1906, renewed steady progress has been made 

 both at Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. 



(a) Mirisavetiya. — Excavations were resumed at the point 

 where they ceased in 1903. In 1902 five monasteries (including 

 the chief pirivena, or monks' residence, of the sangharama) were 

 worked off. These lie (except the large pirivena on the west) to 

 the north-east and east of the Dagaba. 



In 1903 a series of four more monasteries, stretching along 

 the south side of the Dagaba, was unearthed, besides the hand- 

 some northern mandapaya, or portico, to the Dagaba's maluwa, 

 and the massive slab wall and gangway of its northern side. 



The early part of 1906 was given to the completion of the 

 Mirisavetiya ruins. Starting from the south-west of the Dagaba, 

 four additional monasteries to the west, and a fifth outlying on the 

 south-west, were completed. 



These Mirisavetiya monasteries, fourteen in all, which face 

 towards the Dagaba, and surround it except to the north, are 

 most uniform in plan. Each has its own entrance porch, directly 

 behind which stands the vihare with satellite piriven (here only 

 two instead of the usual four) lying off the front angles, and an 

 occasional extra building or two. The stonework is in the 

 simplest style. There is a marked general absence of that 

 elaboration in the carved accessories to stairs (moonstones, 

 terminals, balustrades), so noticeable elsewhere. 



With the exception of one somewhat extensive slab-revetted 

 site lying off the south-west corner of the Dagaba maluwa, the 

 only ruins of any size are situated to the north-west. The largest 

 of these was a rectangular building supported by some 100 

 pillars, probably intended for general use. The monasteries on 

 the east contain an " alms hall," with sunk paved court in the 

 centre, in which is one of the smaller monolithic " dug-outs," or 

 stone boats, peculiar to Anuradhapura and Mihintale. 



The excavation of the Mirisavetiya area was rounded off 

 finally by the unearthing of the three remaining porticoes of the 

 Dagaba's square maluwa on the west, south, and east. The two 



An extra sum of Rs. 2,000 has been sanctioned from 1908. 



