MONETABRIEF – Sri Lankan archaeologists were on Wednesday studying a rare find of 17 gold plated bronze Buddha statues during an excavation in the historic capital of Anuradhapura.
Chandana Rohana Withanachchi, professor of archaeology at Rajarata University, said the palm sized Buddhas found on Tuesday were a significant discovery for understanding the monastic city of Abhayagiri in Anuradhapura.
"This is very important to us because it is an exceptional archaeological discovery made during excavations of the northern rampart of the Abhayagiri complex in Kapalagama village," Withanachchi told reporters in Anuradhapura.
He said the statues appeared to about 1,200 to 1,300 years old.
"Based on the style of the Buddha images, they can be dated roughly to the seventh or eighth centuries. The statues display the characteristics of that period."
Archaeological Department staff discovered the buried treasures during the excavation of a rampart carried under police protection.
Local experts speculate that the statues may have been hurriedly buried at a time of aggression against the city. Sri Lanka’s ancient capitals were the target of repeated invasions.
The Abhayagiri monastic city is believed to have been founded in the 1st century by King Vattagamani Abhaya, also known as Valagamba, and quickly grew into one of the largest and most influential Buddhist centres in ancient Asia.
Located in the northern sector of Anuradhapura, the complex spanned over 500 acres and is believed to have housed upwards of 5,000 monks at its peak.
IMPORTANT FIND : Archaology Professor Chandana Rohana Withanachchi with monks and other observer at the dig in the Abhayagiri complex
The area is also known to have embraced a diverse mix of Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana doctrines, which attracted international scholars and pilgrims from as far as China and India. (Colombo/Aug19/2026)