(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) – A statue of a lion made from terracotta was discovered from a recent excavation at the Sigiriya Rock Fortress.
The excavation is currently underway in the northern water conduit of the Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Director General of the Central Cultural Fund (CCF) Prof. Prishantha Gunawardena said.Several other antiques including terracotta clay pots, beads and iron antiques had been found from the excavation.
He said, “For centuries, there have been several theories regarding the lion statue of Sigiriya. But now, with this statue being found, we can assume as to how the original lion statue looked like. We believe that this mini statue could be a replica of that.”
The academic further said that other clay pots found from the excavation looked like those that were manufactured in foreign countries. “This means that we had a well-structured business trade with Rome and the Central Asian region during the King Sigiri Kashyapa’s era,” he added.
