Anuradhapura

The first Sinhalese capital of Sri Lanka was Anuradhapura, a premier ancient city located in the arid zone. It is 206 kilometres away from Colombo. The third capital to be established following the advent of the Aryans is Anuradhapura. The first covering to be erected at Malwathuoya’s mouth was thambapanni. The second capital, Upathissa, was founded at Kanadaraoya, a Malwathu Oya tributary.

In the district, there are 3,085 villages governed by 18 Pradeshiya Sabhas and one municipal council.

In 1984, Dr. Shirani Deraniyagala conducted archaeological excavations in the inner city of Anuradhapura, which turned up artefacts. The first of the inner city’s seven stages spans the Mesolithic period beginning at 3900 BC. The iron age of the Mesolithic period is the name given to the second stage. The third stage, which lasted from 900 to 600 BC, is known as the basic historical iron age because iron was used extensively during this time.

The fourth stage, known as the early historical age and distinguished by the usage of Brahmi scripts, spans the 600–500 BC period. The fifth stage, known as the lower historical period and distinguished by characteristics in the production of earthenware, spans 500–250 BC. The discovery of fossils, coins, and a variety of marbles and ornaments has made the sixth stage—which spans the time between 250 and 100 BC—stand out. The discovery of polished earthenware during the seventh stage, which spanned the years 100 BC to 300 AD, is noteworthy.