By L.B. Senaratne The Senarath Paranavitharne Teaching and Research Museum at the University of Peradeniya was reopened this week amidst an ongoing investigation into missing artefacts, including several valuable ivory items. Chancellor Lakshman Dissanayake and Vice Chancellor Terrance Mudajith declared the museum reopened on Monday after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) obtained judicial approval. Speaking [...]
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The Senarath Paranavitharne Teaching and Research Museum at the University of Peradeniya was reopened this week amidst an ongoing investigation into missing artefacts, including several valuable ivory items.
Chancellor Lakshman Dissanayake and Vice Chancellor Terrance Mudajith declared the museum reopened on Monday after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) obtained judicial approval.
Speaking at the ceremony, the vice chancellor lamented that, because of the closure, four batches of archaeology honours graduates completed their degrees without ever entering the museum. Established in 1960 by Sri Lanka’s renowned archaeologist Professor Senarath Paranavitharna, with the support of Professor P.L. Prematilleke, the museum had long been the core of the university’s archaeological studies.
Prof. Mudajith emphasised that the reopening was not simply about opening doors but about reopening a chapter of learning that had been paused for nearly five years.
Since its inception, the museum has been the heartbeat of the university’s archaeology programme. The artefacts included coin collections of U. Batuwantudawe and the intaglios of W.H. Biddell. Its foundation rests on the generous bequest of Leslie de Saram in the 1940s – a collection donated to the University of Ceylon when it was based in Colombo.
Commenting on the lost artefacts, Prof. Mudajith noted that the CID had completed its investigations and action was being taken against those responsible. With items returned to the university after being produced in court, the museum could once again serve its teaching mission.
The collection also includes finely crafted ivory objects, among them seven ear picks that went missing, as well as the largest conch made of ivory. Prof. Mudajith added that an internal probe would also be conducted regarding the missing items.
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