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Godavaya or Godawaya is a small fishing hamlet located at the mouth of the Walawe river, between Ambalantota and Hambantota in the Hambantota District in southern Sri Lanka. It received its name, originally ''Goda Pavata Pattana'' or ''Gota Pabbata Pattana'' (meaning 'small rock harbour') from a huge rock overlooking the Indian Ocean, at the foot of which it is situated. The original harbour town was an entrepot on the maritime silk route from at least the 2nd Century CE. It has been the site of extensive excavations by German and Sri Lanka Archaeologists since the mid-1990s. Godavaya is also the site if a wildlife sanctuary. The beach is important for nesting Leatherback turtles. ==History== The Godavaya area has been inhabited for about 7000 years. In August 2008, a human skeleton dating back to 3000-5000 BC (carbon dating has yet to be done) was discovered in an abandoned stone quarry at Godavaya, together with tools of animal-bone and stone. In honour of the discoverer of the site, German archaeologist Oliver Kessler, the skeletons were named Olli 1 -3.〔http://www.lankadeepa.lk/2008/08/21/front_news/01.htm ''Walawe gang moayen ipærani maanavayek'', ''Lankadeepa'', 21 August 2008.〕 The settlement of ''Goda Pavata Pattana'', lay sandwiched on the peninsula between the inland harbour on the Walawe river and the sea harbour on the bay of Godavaya. Trade was an important component in the economy of ancient Sri Lanka and Godavaya was an important maritime settlement, serving Tissamaharama and Ridiyagama in the kingdom of Ruhuna. The Godavaya port probably pre-dates a Brahmi script inscription of the 2nd-century king ''Gamani Abaya'', probably Gajabahu I, which states that the customs duties obtained there were dedicated to the Buddhist monastery, the Godapavata Vihara.〔http://members.tripod.com/hettiarachchi/port.html W. I. Siriweera Ports in ancient Sri Lanka〕〔http://www.archaeology.lk/maritime-archaeology/godawaya-an-ancient-port-city-2nd-century-ce-and-the-recent-discovery-of-the-unknown-wooden-wreck/〕 However in the Mahawamsa's chapter on ‘The 12 Kings’, it is claimed that the vihara at ''Gotapabbata'' was one of the seven monasteries that Mahallaka Naga built after his son-in-law Gajabahu's death.〔Mahawamsa http://lakdiva.org/mahavamsa/chap035.html〕 In ancient times, Sri Lanka exported dark red garnets, which have been found as burial objects in many European graves of the early mediaeval period. Recent research reveals that most of those garnets were from India and Sri Lanka. Godavaya had ease of access via the Walawe river to the gem mining area of the Walawe basin, which is a source of garnets. Until the 6th century, Godavaya was an important transit port. Ships carrying merchandise from the West exchanged commodities with ships from China carrying Silk. Hence, ships did not need to go further than Godavaya. Articles of trade on the Walawe river shipping route and on land routes were also swapped there.〔 Godavaya was the seaport for the mediaeval (11th century) southern capital, Maha Nagakula which lay on the Walawe river.〔http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/temples/ramba.htm Ravi Laduwahetty 'Archaeological eminence of the Ramba Vihara'〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Godavaya」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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