Batatotalena Cave

Batatotalena Cave
Diva Guhava
Location Sudagala, Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka
Coordinates 06°48′00″N 80°22′00″E / 6.80000°N 80.36667°E / 6.80000; 80.36667Coordinates: 06°48′00″N 80°22′00″E / 6.80000°N 80.36667°E / 6.80000; 80.36667
Depth 15 m (49 ft)
Length 25 m (82 ft)
Discovery 1995
Access Hike, climb, swim

The Batatotalena Cave also known as the Diva Guhava in Buddhist literature,(Not to be mistaken as the Batadombalena. Batandomba lena is a pre historic cave/settlement), is a cave system in Sudagala, 5 km (3 mi) away from the town of Kuruwita, in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka.

The cave measures approximately 15 m (49 ft) high, 18 m (59 ft) wide, and 25 m (82 ft) in length, totalling the internal cave area to 6,800 m3 (240,000 cu ft). Accessing the cave involves a 400 m (1,300 ft) hike from Sudagala, and an additional 50 m (160 ft) climb to reach the cave entrance. Approximately 30 m (98 ft) from the cave is another partially submerged cave, which is accessible after a 20 m (66 ft) swim.[1][2]

In Buddhism, it is believed to be the cave in which the Lord Buddha spent the day after placing his footprint on Adam's Peak, from where he supposedly proceeded to Dighavapi.[1]

The Batadombalena archaeological site contains evidence of habitation from 8,000 BCE, and is one of the sites which may prove the "Out of Africa" hypothesis,[3] according to Professor Paul Mellars, a Cambridge University archaeologist. The evidence he found of Balangoda Man in the cave were some stone tools that may have been arrow- or spearheads, and carefully shaped and perforated beads made from fragments of ostrich eggshell. A further piece of ostrich eggshell, incised with a distinctive criss-cross motif, has also been found.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Caves in Sri Lanka". Srilankaecotourism.com. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. ↑ "Caving expeditions in Sri Lanka". Unitedholidays.lk. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. ↑ http://archaeology.about.com/od/oterms/g/outofafrica.htm "Out of Africa" hypothesis
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