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The state of theocracy: defining an early medieval hinterland in Sri Lanka

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Robin Coningham ,
Prishanta Gunawardhana ,
Mark Manuel ,
Gamini Adikari ,
Mangala Katugampola ,
Ruth Young ,
Armin Schmidt ,
K. Krishnan ,
Ian Simpson  and
Gerry McDonnell
...Show all authors
Robin Coningham
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK (Email: r.a.e.coningham@durham.ac.uk)
Prishanta Gunawardhana
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Mark Manuel
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, UK (Email: r.a.e.coningham@durham.ac.uk)
Gamini Adikari
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Mangala Katugampola
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka
Ruth Young
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, UK
Armin Schmidt
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, UK
K. Krishnan
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, MS University of Baroda, India
Ian Simpson
Affiliation:
School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, UK
Gerry McDonnell
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, UK
Cathy Batt
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford, UK
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Extract

The ancient Sri Lankan city of Anuradhapura is currently the subject of one of the world's largest and most intensive archaeological research projects. Having traced its growth from an Iron Age village to a medieval city, the research team now moves to the task of modelling the surrounding landscape. Three seasons of fieldwork have located numerous sites of which the most prominent in the urban period are monasteries. Here is a clue about how the early urban hinterland was managed which has implications well beyond Sri Lanka.

Keywords

AnuradhapuraSri Lankaheterarchymonasticismsurveytheocracy
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 81 , Issue 313 , 1 September 2007 , pp. 699 - 719
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2007

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