Field Archeology Unit

Field Archaeology Unit (FAU) functions as a section responsible for implementing field-oriented practices in teaching, research, and national-level consultancy at the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology. 

Since its establishment in 2006, the unit has carried out more than fifteen field projects, including surface reconnaissance surveys and systematic excavations. FAU has added 36 new radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dates to Sri Lankan archaeology, making a significant contribution to filling the chronological gap between the prehistoric and protohistoric periods of the island. The results of these projects have been published in international journals as well as in the Occasional Papers series of the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology. 

One of the major outreach services of FAU is its contribution to forensic investigations from a medico-legal perspective, providing forensic archaeological interpretations. This service has been formally recognized by the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the community of forensic anthropologists in Sri Lanka, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In addition, FAU offers specialized services in remote sensing, including the interpretation of ground anomalies and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys for subsurface detection. FAU also provides short-term field training programs for foreign students and facilitates internships in archaeology as part of its academic and professional training activities.

A moment when Forensic Archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva reports on the excavation of the Mannar mass grave