Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs, Sigiriya - Timings, History, Best Time to Visit

At a distance of 5 km from Dambulla and 19 km from Sigiriya, Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs is an ancient burial site situated in Ibbankatuwa near Dambulla town. It is one of the popular archaeological sites in Sri Lanka and among the prime places to visit in Sigiriya.

Situated on the Kurunegala - Dambulla road, the Ibbankatuwa tomb site was first identified in the year 1970 residential excavation at the site by the Archaeological Department. The Radiocarbon dating of the remnants found in the site has revealed that these tombs dated back to 700 - 400 BC. After that a number of archaeological excavations were carried out in 1983-1984 and again between 1988 and 1990. Currently, the 15 acres tomb site has been designated as an archaeological protected site in Sri Lanka and is opened to the public in 2017.

The tomb complex covers an area of about 1 sq. km with 42 clusters of tombs and each cluster contains about 10 tombs. Each tomb is enclosed with four stone slabs and covered by another slab on the top forming a rectangular chamber. According to the way of interment two distinct burial customs, urn (bodies were placed in urns and interred) and cist (ashes of deceased were interred) have been identified. Excavations have revealed that each tomb containing personal belonging such as clay pots, beads, necklaces, etc., similar to the practices in ancient Egypt pyramids. The gemstones found in some necklaces are not naturally found in Sri Lanka which indicates that they may have been imported.

Timings: 8 AM - 5 PM

Entry: LKR. 20 for Person