The place we call home is close to our heart, a cosy nest where we are safe from the harmful effects of natural elements – rain, wind, cold and harsh sunlight. From the time man felt the need to have a shelter above his head to safeguard himself from nature’s harshness, he started building a structure or finding a place where he felt safe and secure.
When we think of a shelter, we think of a multitude of other needs as well. An ideal shelter should offer security from natural elements as well as from animals, a safe place where one could go about his daily work without having to worry too much about an outside threat, a place which is airy, as well as has easy access to any of his requisite outside needs. When man started to build his abode, he looked for a location which is strategically placed in a safe locale. Before starting to build abodes, the oldest known humans made use of the caves in the wilderness as their residences.
37,000-year-old settlement
Fa Hsien-lena cave or locally known as Pahiyangala is one such brilliantly chosen abode, a gigantic cave at a sleepy wooded village at Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district.
According to the findings from archaeological excavations carried out at the Fa Hsien-lena cave, there is strong evidence that it had been used as a ‘home’ in the prehistoric era. In fact, as far back as 37,000 years ago, a time that belonged to the Stone Age, the pre-historic man was intuitive enough to have chosen this cave as his residence, which, millennia ago, would have been a brilliant choice.
Fa Hsien-lena cave or Pahiyangala cave lies in the verdant village of Yatagampitiya, about five kilometres away from Bulathsinhala. It has become one of the most visited sites, since excavations carried out by the Department of Archaeology turned up definitive evidence to the fact that the pre-historic man had lived in the cave.
There is a deep pit dug out by the Archaeological Department for an excavation at the centre of the cave. It is in this pit that archaeologists found five human skulls which were identified as 37,000 years old by carbon dating in the USA. Some weapons made of stone and animal bones were also recovered during the excavation. It has been found that these were used to kill monkeys, deer, porcupines, and others. They had also consumed species of snail and wild breadfruit.
The cave is 400 feet above sea level and at the entrance, it is 175 feet high and 200 feet in length. It is said that 3,000 people could easily be accommodated within its interior, safe from any effect of heavy rain or wind. The cave is legendary for being the home of late Pleistocene human fossilised skeletal remains, which were discovered in the cave’s sediments during excavations in the 1960s and the 1980s.
Earliest use of bow and arrow
An international team of scientists, from Germany, Australia and Sri Lanka, studied bone tools and artefacts that were recovered during the 2009 to 2012 excavations of Fa Hsien-lena cave. The study provides evidence for the earliest use of bow and arrow, and perhaps the making of clothes, outside of Africa, dating back around 45,000 to 48,000 years ago.
It is believed to be the largest natural rock cave in South and East Asia and also the oldest pre-historic human settlement in Asia. The name of the cave is derived from the Chinese Mahayana bhikkhu Fa Hsien who visited the cave in the 5th Century.
He is believed to have been on his way to Sri Pada (Adam’s Peak) and on his way there, the cave is one point where he is believed to have occupied as a resting place.
The fact that the cave had been a residence of early humans indicates that the cave fulfilled man’s basic need for shelter. The cave, part of a majestic rock in the middle of the forest, has to be reached after an arduous climb.
Though there are rock-hewn steps to climb there today, whether they had been there initially is a question to ponder. Still, considering its location and accessibility, the cave is thought to have provided maximum security to its dwellers.
The massive cave spreads out to the interior of the rock. For security reasons, many of the cave’s tunnels that snake out into the interior are closed to the public, yet the main cave is divided into four sections. The central two sections are shrine rooms, while the other two have been taken over by the Department of Archaeology for their dig.
Though there are no windows, ventilation in the interior of the cave is quite sufficient, for its wide and tall mouth provides enough air circulation as well as light to the interior.
Rock paintings
The few rock paintings and Buddha statues found in a small cave shrine adjoining the main cave belong to the Kandyan period. There is evidence that the pre-historic man beautified his home and recorded his lifestyle and surroundings of which he was an intricate part of.
Fa Hsien-lena cave stands as a captivating testament to Sri Lanka’s rich history and cultural heritage. From its geological formations to the ancient artefacts and legends it holds, this historic site offers a glimpse into the island’s fascinating past.
