Evidence for persistent forest reliance by indigenous peoples in historical Sri Lanka
Working closely with Wanniyalaeto (Vedda) elders in Sri Lanka during the repatriation of skeletal remains, a team of researchers have demonstrated that while some Indigenous hunter-gatherers in Sri Lanka made use of agricultural resources and trade connections with farmers and colonial power structures, others continued to subsist primarily on tropical forest resources as late as the 19th century.
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Relic Buddhist stupas rising out of the tropical forest at Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka [Credit: Patrick Roberts] |
In the case of the Wanniyalaeto, while they previously occupied villages across Sri Lanka, including within the Wet Zone rainforests, British colonial policy, and the development of Sri Lankan state education systems and legal orders, led to their decline and focus on more open, dry jungle settings. Furthermore, today, wild game hunting, a traditional subsistence and cultural activity of the Wanniyalaeto is now illegal.
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Map showing the vegetation zones of Sri Lanka after Erdelen (1988) and Roberts et al. (2015a) [Credit: Roberts et al. Human Ecology (2018)] |
In an article published in Human Ecology, the combined team of European researchers and Wanniyalaeto elders used stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of minimal amounts of tooth enamel powder, to show that while a number of individuals made use of millet, and perhaps also rice, through trade with local agricultural populations, others subsisted primarily on tropical forest resources. These results are significant in the face of current Wanniyalaeto battles to remain on their traditional hunting grounds.
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View from the ancient city of Polonnaurwa into Sri Lankan Dry Zone tropical forest at dusk [Credit: Patrick Roberts] |
This is the first time that an archaeological science project has been directed by members of an Indigenous group during the process of repatriation in Asia. It should act as a model for future interactions between archaeological scientists and Indigenous populations, working together on projects with meaningful outcomes for local cultural heritage, questions, and interest.
Source: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History [April 26, 2018]
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