Editing Sri Lanka (section)

=== Prehistory ===
{{Main|Prehistory of Sri Lanka}}
The pre-history of Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years and possibly even as far back as 500,000 years.<ref name="pps">{{cite web |author=Deraniyagala, Siran U. |title=Pre and Protohistoric settlement in Sri Lanka |series=XIII U. I. S. P. P. Congress Proceedings – Forli, 8–14 September 1996 |work=International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/dera1.html |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=20 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170820080625/http://lankalibrary.com/geo/dera1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The era spans the [[Palaeolithic]], [[Mesolithic]], and early [[Iron Age]]s. Among the [[Paleolithic]] human settlements discovered in Sri Lanka, [[Fa Hien Cave|Pahiyangala]] (37,000 BP), named after the [[Chinese people|Chinese]] traveller [[Bhikkhu|monk]] [[Faxian]];<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.angelfire.com/in4/visitsl/prehistoric/pahiyagala/pahiyangala.htm |title=Pahiyangala (Fa-Hiengala) Caves |work=[[Angelfire]] |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=2 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902171134/http://www.angelfire.com/in4/visitsl/prehistoric/pahiyagala/pahiyangala.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Batadombalena]] (28,500 BP);<ref name="btd">{{Cite book |author=Kennedy, Kenneth A.R., Disotell, T.W., Roertgen, J., Chiment, J., Sherry, J. |title=Ancient Ceylon 6: Biological anthropology of upper Pleistocene hominids from Sri Lanka: Batadomba Lena and Beli Lena caves |pages=165–265}}</ref> and [[Belilena]] (12,000 BP) are the most important. In these caves, archaeologists have found the remains of [[anatomy|anatomically]] modern [[humans]] which they have named [[Balangoda Man]], and other evidence<ref>{{Harvnb|De Silva|1981|pp=6–7}}</ref> suggesting that they may have engaged in [[agriculture]] and kept domestic dogs for driving game.<ref>{{cite book |author=Deraniyagal, Siran |title=The Prehistory of Sri Lanka |publisher=[[Department of Archaeological Survey]] |year=1992 |place=[[Colombo]] | page=454 |isbn=978-955-9159-00-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZihuAAAAMAAJ}}</ref>

The earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka were probably ancestors of the [[Vedda people]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/dera2.html |title=Early Man and the Rise of Civilisation in Sri Lanka: the Archaeological Evidence |author=Deraniyagala, S.U. |work=lankalibrary.com |access-date=15 July 2014 |archive-date=5 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140105134736/http://www.lankalibrary.com/geo/dera2.html |url-status=live }}</ref> an indigenous people numbering approximately 2,500 living in modern-day Sri Lanka.

During the protohistoric period (1000–500 BCE) Sri Lanka was culturally united with southern India,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30208096.ece |title=Reading the past in a more inclusive way – Interview with Dr. Sudharshan Seneviratne |work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]] (2006) |date=26 January 2006 |access-date=18 September 2020 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126024531/https://frontline.thehindu.com/other/article30208096.ece |url-status=live }}</ref> and shared the same megalithic burials, [[Black and red ware culture|pottery]], iron technology, farming techniques and [[megalithic graffiti symbols|megalithic graffiti]].<ref name="Seneviratne">{{cite book |last=Seneviratne |first=Sudharshan |title=Social base of early Buddhism in south east India and Sri Lanka |date=1984}}</ref><ref name="Karunaratne">{{cite book |last=Karunaratne |first=Priyantha |title=Secondary state formation during the early iron age on the island of Sri Lanka : the evolution of a periphery |date=2010}}</ref> This cultural complex spread from southern India along with Dravidian clans such as the [[Velir]], prior to the migration of [[Prakrit]] speakers.<ref>Robin Conningham – Anuradhapura – The British-Sri Lankan Excavations at Anuradhapura Salgaha Watta
Volumes 1 and 2 (1999/2006)</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Seneviratne |first=Sudarshan |year=1989 |title=Pre-state chieftains and servants of the state: a case study of Parumaka |url=http://dlib.pdn.ac.lk/archive/handle/123456789/2078 |language=en |journal=The Sri Lanka Journal of the Humanities |access-date=19 February 2021 |archive-date=15 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815201049/http://dlib.pdn.ac.lk/archive/handle/123456789/2078 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Seneviratne" />

One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian [[Epic poetry|epic]] [[Ramayana]], which provides details of a kingdom named ''[[Lanka]]'' that was created by the divine sculptor [[Vishwakarma|Vishvakarma]] for [[Kubera]], the God of Wealth.<ref>{{Cite book |author=Keshavadas, Sant |title=Ramayana at a Glance |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1988 |isbn=978-81-208-0545-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3XIatVGyjmQC}}</ref> It is said that Kubera was overthrown by his [[rakshasa]] stepbrother, [[Ravana]].<ref name="parkrsl">{{Cite book |author=Parker, H. |title=Ancient Ceylon |publisher=[[Asian Educational Services]] |year=1992 |page=7 |isbn=978-81-206-0208-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nk8xpkY0bqEC}}</ref>