A list of the academic publications and talks by Professor Prematilleke, which are an indication of the sheer volume of his work and his immense knowledge regarding the subject.  You will be able to learn more about his research interests, achievements, and contributions to the field of archaeology. You will also be able to find out how to obtain them in print or digital formats.

To help you navigate the web page, we have organized the publications by categories, such as journal articles or books, project reports, guidebooks / catalogues, presentations, newspaper articles etc.

 1959 

• Article: ‘සංකීර්න බෞද්ධ ප්‍රථිමා’ , Journal: සාහිත්‍ය (Quarterly journal of the Cultural Department). Page 99.
• Article: ‘ඉන්දු මුර්ති කලාවේ ස්වර්ණ යුගය’, Journal: ලංකා  ගුවන්විදුලි සඟරාව (August).
• Article: ‘අමරාවතී කලා  නිර්මාණ’, Journal: ලංකා  ගුවන්විදුලි සඟරාව (August).
• Sinhala Encyclopedia – Sectional editor (Archaeology):
  • 1958 – ‘ආල්ටාමීරා’, ‘අශෝක විහාරය’ ‘අලි මස්ජිඩ් ස්තූප’, ‘උපාලි තීන්’, ‘අභයදාන විහාරය’, ‘ආමලක’, ‘අය’ටන්, එඩ්වඩ් ආර්.’, ‘එක් ටැම් ගෙය’, ‘අනන්ත වාසුදේව කෝවිල’
  • 1959 – ‘අමරාවති, ‘අශෝක ස්තම්භ’, ‘අයුධ්‍යා’, ‘අරන්කැලේ’, ‘ආකාස චේතිය’, ‘අංකෝර්’, ‘අරම විහාරය’, ‘අන්නාසි මල’, ‘අශ්ට නාරි රථය’, ‘අර්හායි දින්-කා-ඣොම්ප්‍රා, ‘අමර්නාථ කෝවිල’, ‘අන්ධේරි ස්තූප’, ‘අනන්ත ගුම්ෆා’, ‘අයිහෝළේ’, ‘අල්පනා  චිත්‍ර’, ‘අටමස්ථානය’, ‘අඞගාර චේතිය’, ‘අජන්ටා,’ අවුරංගාබාද්’

 1960  

•   Article: ‘පැරණි ඉන්දියානු බෞද්ධ ගෘහ නිර්මානය’, Journal: ලංකා  ගුවන්විදුලි     සඟරාව.

 1961 

• Article: ‘An Ivory Cabinet in the Archaeological Museum’, Journal: Ceylon University Review, Volume 19, No. 1, Part 3 (April). Pages 76-80. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo and from University of Peradeniya

 1962 

• Article: ‘මිසරයේ පුරාවස්තු’, Journal: ලංකා   ගුවන්විදුලි සඟරාව

 1963 

• Article: ‘ලංකාවේ ස්ථූපය’ (translation of ‘The Stupa in Ceylon’ by S. Paranavitana), Journal: Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon, Publisher: Official Languages Department, Colombo,  Volume V. 95 pages, 22 plates.

 1964 

• Book: Religious Architecture and Sculpture of Ceylon (Anuradhapura Period), Ph.D. Thesis, University of London. Volume I, 257 pages; Volume II (illustrations) 96 plates. (in press)

 1965 

• Article: ‘ලංකාවේ පැරණි සන්ඝාරාම විශේෂයක්’, Journal: පටිසම්භිදා, Publisher: Vidyalankara University.
• ‘පුරාවිද්‍යාව හැඳින්වීමක්’, Journal: ලංකා   ගුවන්විදුලි සඟරාව.

 1966

• Chapter: ‘පැරණි ලංකාවේ මුරගල් රූප’, Book: Pragnāsāra Felicitation Volume, Publisher: Vidyalankara University. 8 plates.
• Article: ‘The Identity and Significance of the Standing Figure at the Gal Vihara, Polonnaruva’, Journal: Artibus Asiae, (quarterly of Asian Art and Archaeology), Publisher: New York University, Volume XXVIII, No. 1 Pages 61-66, 3 plates.
• Article: ’Vāhalkadas of the Sinhalese Dāgabas’, Journal: The Ceylon Journal of Historical and Social Studies, Volume 9, No. 1 (Jan-June). Pages 67-72, 2 plates. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.

 1966/67 

• Article: ‘Identity and Significance of the Object held by the Dwarfs in the Guardstones of Ancient Ceylon’, Journal: Artibus Asiae, (quarterly of Asian Art and Archaeology), Publisher: New York University,  Volume  XXXVIII, No. 2/3. Pages 155-161, 11 plates.

 1968 

•  Section: ‘Bharhut’, Book: Buddhist Encyclopedia, Publisher: Department of Cultural Affairs, Colombo, Volume 2, Fasc. 4. Pages 264-270. 

 1969 

• Article: (Co-authored with Roland Silva) ‘A Buddhist Monastery Type of Ancient Ceylon showing Mahayanist Influence’, Journal: Artibus Asiae, (quarterly of Asian Art and Archaeology), New York University, Volume XXX, No. i. Pages 61-84, 21 plates.  

 1970 

• Book: පුරාණ ඉන්දියාවේ කාසි, (a text on Indian numismatics for students), Publisher: M.D. Gunasena and Company Colombo. 109 pages, 6 plates. Republished in 2001: Publisher: ශ්‍රී ලංකා සංස්කෘතික ශාස්ත්‍රායතනය. ISBN 955-9079-19-0. Available at PGIAR library.

Prof. Paranavithana himself wrote the following foreword in appreciation of this work (24th October 1968):

‘The study of ancient coins has contributed much to the knowledge that we possess about the past history of India. In fact, certain rulers such as most of the Greek monarchs who ruled in the Punjab area and the adjacent territories are known solely from their coins. Numismatics is a very exacting study and very few are the scholars who have specialized in it. As it had been in the study of Indian antiquities in general, the pioneers in the study of Indian numismatics have been European scholars; but in the past few decades, more and more Indian scholars have taken it up and made contributions of lasting value. There are many authoritative works for Indian numismatics, including the catalogues of the collection of Indian coins in the British museum and several Indian museums; but, so far as I am aware, there is no work dealing with the subject even briefly in Sinhalese. As such, the undertaking by Dr L Prematilleke to write a book on the subject in Sinhalese is very praiseworthy.

I have seen Dr Prematilleke’s manuscript. Dr Prematilleke has considerable experience in teaching the subject to university students. Therefore, this book should prove to be of value to students taking Indian history as a subject in their examinations. I wish the publication all success.’

 1971 

• Article: (Co-authored with U.A. Gunasekara and Roland Silva) ‘A Corpus of Pottery Forms found in Ceylon’. Journal: Ancient Ceylon (Journal of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon), No. I (January). Pages 146-192, 11 plates. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.
• Article: (Co-authored with K. Indrapala) ‘A Ćola Inscription from Medirigiriya’. Journal: Epigraphia Tamilica (Journal of the Jaffna Archaeological Society) Volume 1 (June). Pages 25-28, 1 plate.

 1972 

• Article: ‘A Miniature Sculpture from Ceylon Depicting the Eight Great Miracles of the Buddha’, Journal: Artibus Asiae, (quarterly of Asian Art and Archaeology), Publisher: New York University,  Volume XXXIV, No. 2/3. Pages 162-168, 1 plate, 1 figure.
• Chapter: ‘ලක්දිව බෝසත් පිලිම’. Book: Neluve Sri Gunananda Commemoration Volume, Publisher: Samayawardana Press, Colombo. Pages 214-221.

 1973 

• Article: ‘Museums and Archaeology’, Journal: Pūrvakalā (Bulletin of the Jaffna Archaeological Society), No. 1. Pages 5-12.

 1976 

• Article: ‘A Study of the Sculptural Remains of the Stupa Vāhalkadas’, Journal: Ceylon Historical Journal (December).
• Article: ‘Manjusrī-Bhasitā Vāstuvidyā Sāstra – A Manuscript on Buddhist Silpa Sāstra: A Preliminary Note’, Journal: Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities, Publisher: University of Peradeniya, Volume 2, No. 1 (June).

 1978 

• Book: Senarat Paranavitana Commemoration Volume., Publisher: E.J. Brill, Leiden. Netherlands. Available at PGIAR library Colombo.
  •   Lead Editor (with K. Indrapala and J.E. van Loheizen de Leeuw)
  •   Chapter: ‘The Kushtarajagala Image at Veligama, Sri Lanka. A Re-  examination’. Pages 172-180, 1 plate, 1 figure.

 1980 

• Book: P.E.P. Deraniyagala Commemoration Volume, Publisher: Lakehouse Investments, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.
  • Joint Editor (with Gunawardane and Roland Silva)
  • Chapter Author: ‘The Sculptural Remains of the Stupa Vāhalkadas’. Pages 320-337, 15 plates.
    

• Article: ‘Gems of Sri Lankan Sculpture’, Journal: Asian Culture (Bulletin of the Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO), Publisher: Asian Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Tokyo Japan, Volume 26 (March). Pages 16-20

 1983 

• Article:  ‘Alahana Parivena Project, Polonnaruva’, Journal: The Quarterly of the Cultural Triangle UNESCO-Sri Lanka Project, Volume 1 (December). Pages 21-24, 5 plates. Available at PGIAR library.

• Chapter: ‘The Sri Lankan Buddha Image’, Book: Aspects of Indian Art and Culture: S.K. Saraswati Commemoration Volume, Publisher: School of Historical & Cultural Studies, Calcutta India. 

 1984 

• Chapter: ‘The Buddha Image of Sri Lanka’, Book: Paroksā (Coomaraswamy Centenary Seminar Papers), Publisher: Lalit Kala Academy, New Delhi India. Pages 42-45, 7 plates.

 1986

• Article: ‘Recent Archaeological Research on a Sri Lankan City Complex (Kandy)’, Journal: Sri Lanka Journal of Humanities, Publisher: University of Peradeniya, Volume 12, Nos. 1 and 2. Pages 133-153, 9 figures. (publication of a talk presented at the South Asian Archaeological Congress, University of Wisconsin, Madison, November 1986). Available at University of Peradeniya

 1989 

• Chapter 11: ‘A Buddhist Monastic Complex of the Medieval Period in Sri Lanka’. Book:  Domination and Resistance,One – World Archaeology No:3. Editors: Daniel Miller, Michael Rowlands, Christopher Tilley. Publisher: Unwin Hyman, London. Pages 196-210, 7 figures. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.
• Chapter 27: ‘Recent Archaeological Research on a Sri Lankan City Complex’, Book: Old Problems and New Perspectives in the Archaeology of South Asia (Wisconsin Archaeology Reports), Volume 2, Publisher: Department of Anthropology, U. W. Madison, USA, Page 273. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.

 1990 

• Chapter: ‘Chinese Ceramics discovered in Sri Lanka, an overview’, Book:  Sri Lanka and the Silk Road of the Sea. Editors: Senaka Bandaranayake, Lorna Dewaraja and Roland Silva. Publisher: UNESCO / Central Cultural Fund Colombo. Pages 233 – 244. Available at PGIAR library.
• (Co-authored with Arjuna Aluvihare) Article: ‘Ancient Hospitals of Sri Lanka, Built-environment and Surgical Systems’, Journal: Ancient Ceylon (Journal of the Archaeological Survey Department of Sri Lanka), Volume 4, No 10. Pages 281 – 290. Available at PGIAR library.
  

• (Team leader, co-editor and co-author with Roland Silva and Nandana Chutiwongs) Book series: Sculpture of Sri Lanka – a Collector’s Item. Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka. 4 large albums with colour plates:
  These books are all available in the libraries of the PGIAR as well as the CCF.

 1993

• (co-authored with L.K. Karunaratne) Chapter: ‘Polonnaruva the medieval capital’, Book: The Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, Publisher: UNESCO/Central Cultural Fund, Colombo, 4 editions 1993, 1995, 2001, 2004, ISBN (UNESCO) 92-3-102874-X ISBN (Central Cultural Fund) 955-613-046-2. Pages 86-111. Available at the PGIAR library.

• (Co-edited with Sita Pieris) Conference Proceedings booklet (10th General Assembly of ICOMOS in Colombo): Cultural Tourism – tourism at world heritage cultural sites: The site manager’s hand book. Publisher: Sri Lanka National Committee of ICOMOS. Available at the PGIAR library. 
• (Co-edited with Sita Pieris) Book: Archaeological Heritage Management, Publisher: Sri Lanka National Committee of ICOMOS, ISBN 955-613-041-1 – available at PGIAR library
• (Co-edited with Sita Pieris) Training of Trainers in Architectural and Urban Conservation; an appraisal. Publisher: Central Cultural Fund. ISBN 955-613-039-X, 159 pages – available at CCF library
• (Editor in Chief) Book: Economics of Conservation, Publisher ICOMOS and Central Cultural Fund, Colombo, ISBN 955-613-045-4. 163 pages. Available at the PGIAR library.

 1995

• (Co-authored with Arjuna Aluvihare) Chapter: ‘Ancient Hospital Systems in Sri Lanka’, In Sri Nagabhinandanam, Dr M. S, Nagaraja Rao Festschrift (essays on art, culture, history, archaeology, epigraphic and conservation of cultural property of India and neighbouring countries). Editors: LK Srinivasan, S Nagaraju, V Shivananda, MV Visweswara, Volume II, Bangalore, India.
• (Co-edited with MHF Jayasuriya and Roland Silva) Book: Bibliotheca Zeylanica series, Volume 1: Manjusri Vastuvidyasastra. Publisher: The Archaeological Survey of Sri Lanka and Central Cultural Fund. ISBN 955-613-053-5, 322 pages – available at PGIAR library
  •  (editing and translation of an ancient Sanskrit palm-leaf manuscript Manjusri Vastuvidyasastra, which is a Mahayana Buddhist text written by Manjusri, dealing with Buddhist architecture and iconography, with a descriptive introduction by Leelananda Prematilleke).

 1996 

• (Co-authored with Nandana Chutiwongs) Chapter: ‘The ten Buddhas of the future.’ Book: Studies and reflections on Asian art history and archaeology, essays in honour of Prof. Subhadradis Diskul, Publisher: Silpakorn University, Bangkok. pages 351-364.
  
• Article: ‘මහනුවර නාථ දේවාලයේ පුරාණය පිලිබඳ නව තොරතුරු’. Journal: සංස්කෘතික පුරාණය, Volume 2 Number 1 (Halyaale Sumanatissa Felicitation Edition), Edited by TG Kulatunga. Publisher: Central Cultural Fund. Page 67. Available at CCF library.
  

 1997 

• (Author) Book: The Sri Lankan Artifacts in the Netherlands (A survey of Sri Lankan objects in the Netherlands with an additional chapter on the Sri Lankan artefacts in the Victoria and Albert Museum), Publisher: The International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden, Netherlands. 30 pages. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.

2000

• (Co-authored with Ananda Colombage, also design and concept) Book: දලදා   මා ලිගාව නව සොයා ගැනීම්, පැරණි බිතු සිතුවම් (Sinhala), Series: දලදා  මාලිගාව ප්‍රකාශන මාලා No.1. Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, Colombo. ISBN: 995-613-133-7. 66 pages. Available at the PGIAR library.
• Co-authored with Ananda Colombage, also design and concept) Book: Dalada Maligawa – Recent Discoveries – Ancient Murals (English), Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, ISBN 955-8397-00-8. (a monograph on newly discovered murals of the Sacred Tooth Relic shrine, Kandy) – available at PGIAR library

2001

• Book: Men and Monuments (D.T.Devendra Centennial Tribute), Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, ISBN 955-613-134-5. Available at the PGIAR library. 
  •   Editor
  •   Author, `The Natha Devale, Kandy’ 
• (Editor of translation) ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ ක්ෂේත්‍ර පුරාවිද්‍යාව: එහි ගුණාත්මක ප්‍රවර්ධනය සඳහා යෝජනාවලියක් (Author of original English book S U Deraniyagala, translated by Nimal Perera). Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.

2002

• (Author) Cover story ‘Pulasthi’ for proceedings booklet of Academic meeting themed The renaissance of indigenous medicine by The United Medical Front. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo.

2003

•  (Editor) Book: Beautiful Chengde Beautiful Kandy, Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, Colombo, ISBN 955-613-147-7. 55 pages. Available at University of Kelaniya
•  Article: ‘දඹදෙනිය රාජධානිය සහ සිංහළ සාහිත්‍ය’ Journal: දඹදෙනිය ශාස්ත්‍රීය සංග්‍රහය (published for the Dambadeniya schools’ literary festival).

2004

•  (Editor) Book: Conservation of the Dutch Reformed Church Galle Fort, Publisher: Central Cultural Fund, Colombo, ISBN 955-613-179-5. 53 pages, 23 illustrations. Available at PGIAR Library Colombo. 

2007

2008

• Vajirabhivandana (Venerable Kumburugamuve Vajira felicitation volume), Publisher: Godage International Publishers, Colombo, ISBN 978-955-30-0911-1 – available at PGIAR library  
  • Co-edited with Oliver Abeynayake
    
  • (Author) ‘The Temple of the Tooth Relic in Kandy’, pages 153-164.

2010

• Books: Abhinandanamālā: Nandana Chutiwongs Felicitation Volume. Publisher: SPAFA Regional Centre of Archeology and Fine Arts, Bangkok. 2 volumes (main – 153 pages, supplementum – 215 pages). ISBN: 978-955-52879-0-6. Available at PGIAR library.
  • Editor-in-chief and design
  • Author of article: Pañcāyanata, Pañcaprāsāda and Pañcāvāsa: a Brief Review. Pages 151-162 
• (Advisory Editor) Book: Sirinimal Lakdusinghe Felicitation Volume, Neptune Publications Sri Lanka, ISBN 978-955-002-805-4. Available at the PGIAR library.
• (Editor), Book: Preserving Heritage Art and Archaeological treasures of the Colombo National Museum, Publisher: HSBC Bank, ISBN 978-955-0496-00-6. Avaliable at University of Moratuwa

2018

• Co-editor) හෙල වාරි පුරාවත. Research on Sri Lanka’s history of irrigation from the beginning to modern times (in Sinhala). Publisher: The Mahaweli Centre, Colombo. Learn more