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A Preliminary Study on Chinese Archaeological Ceramics in Sri Lanka

Abstract:

A significant collection of ancient ceramics ware from the periods of seven Chinese dynasties have been unearthed in Sri Lanka. The earliest ceramics are from the period of Tang Dynasty (618-906A.D), Five Dynasties and Ten kingdoms (902-979A.D).  . Ceramics remains from North Song, South Song, Ming, Yuan, and Qing dynasties and ancient Chinese coins have also been discovered. Chinese inscriptions found in some of the ancient ports of Lanka provide valuable information on ancient Sino -Sri Lanka relationships and archaeological and historical values of Chinese ceramics found in Sri Lanka.

Key words: Ancient Chinese Ceramics, China, Sri Lanka

The Back ground:

Sri Lanka was a central port in the ancient Indian Ocean trade. Ancient Sri Lanka was the place of bartering goods, specially Far East to West and South to East shipping trade as well as it was developed as a main enter port of the East to West sea route of Indian Ocean. Sea trade facilitated and had direct impact on close bilateral relations between ancient China and Sri Lanka in the fields of trade, commerce, culture and politics. Ancient Sino-Sri Lanka relationships are explained and discussed in Sri Lankan historical literature such as “Sihalavattuppakarana” (5A.D), “Sahassawatthuppakarana” (9A.D), Buthsarana and Jataka Atuwa Getapadaya (12A.D) and in Pujawaliya (13A.D).

This brief research paper focuses on the ancient Chinese Ceramics with archaeological value found in Sri Lanka.

According to historical references earliest documented evidence on Sino-Sri Lanka relationship date back to first century A.D. At that time Han dynasty’s missions reached several south Asian countries including Sri Lanka which was known as in Chinese Ssu-Cheng-pu means Sinhadipa¹. Later on Chinese emperors send several missions to the Island. There were several high lighting events in this historical relationship of the both states. On 411-412 A.D Chinese great monk Fa-Shien visited the Island and examined Buddhist textual reference for about two years. Fa-Shian in his historical travelogue mention about the island situation, his unforgettable incidents in the country and details about the Sri Lankan navigation². After that during Anuradhapura kingdom in the period 1260-1294 A.D, Yuan dynasty’s reign of Kublai Khan’s four Chinese missions reached Yapahuwa and Dambadeniya, the sub kingdoms of Sri Lanka. At that time Sri Lankan missions were also sent to Yuan court. Chinese foreign policy expanded since Tang dynasty (618-906). During the Yuan dynasty China played a greater role of the Ocean trade along the Far East to West. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644A.D) Sino-Sri Lanka inter relationships were at a very high level with Chinese Ming court Admiral Cheng –Ho’s coming to Island in on 1405, 1409, 1411 and 1412 A.D. to do homage of the imperial court (Needham; 1954)
Sri Lanka was the central and the meeting point of ancient sea roots in Indian Ocean

Archaeological Ceramics:

Archaeological ceramics in Sri Lanka are manly categorized as local and foreign ceramics. Among foreign ceramics, on the first decade only Indian pottery were found in Sri Lankan archaeological sites. But since early mediaeval history a mix of both Islamic and Chinese ceramics are discovered. The unearthed Chinese ceramic was more qualitative and higher in number than the Islamic ceramic.

Sri Lankan archaeologists have unearthed Chinese ceramics both inland and sea costal sites in the Island.

In the recent classification of Chinese Ceramics found in Sri Lanka those from the period of Tang dynasty’s (618-906 A.D) are listed as the earliest one³. Since then there are several kind of Chinese ceramics found up to 16th century. The archaeological sites of Island which unearthed Tang dynasty ceramics are inland Buddhist monasteries sites as Jetavanaramaya, Abahayagiriya and Mihintale north central province in Sri Lanka. At that time Anuradhapura was a capital in the ancient Sri Lanka and the period was known as Anuradhapura kingdom (300B.C-1017A.D).

At that time Eastern tip of the island was known as Mantai and was used as a great port during the Anuradhapura kingdom. Manti is the important archeological site of my research where we discovered significant collection of Chinese ceramics, including those from Tang period.

Heavy storage jars were commonly used at that period. According to past excavation details, this type of storage jars had flat base, short vertical neck and six horizontal strap handles around the shoulder, and thick grey-brown, coloured stone ware with pale olive green galze interior and exterior. This type of jars normally used as storage vessels and could have served as shipping containers for valuable products. The jars could be used for the drinking water or any other liquid as wine. This type of jars and jar fragments have been found only Mantai port site so far. There were no any such jars or remains found in the monastery sites. This may indicate such jars were used as shipping containers. Further the findings supports the evidence of active Sino- Sri Lankan trade relations during the Tang dynasty.

Besides grey –brown colour stone ware with glaze interior and exterior, black striated stone ware and dark brown glaze stone ware jars and jar fragments have been unearthed at Mantai port. Thus different varieties of Chinese bowls have been discovered at Archaeological sites at Anuradhapura Abhayagiriya monastery and Mihintale ancient hospital site and also at Mantai port site too. These are datable at late Tang and Five dynasties (902-979A.D). Some could have been used by royal palace but unfortunately no direct remains from royal palace have been found.

Yue kiln celadon porcelain ware, Changsha kiln porcelain ware, Tang white ware and brown glaze ware were discovered from Anuradhapura monasries sites. Most of ceramics ware of that period may be religious gifts from local governors and foreign missions. At that time Sri Lanka was engaged in international trade as a place of bartering goods for West and East. So Sea coastal port sites unearthed collections are always larger than the inland collections

Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D) ceramics wares were among the other significant ancient ceramics found in Sri Lanka. However, according to the Mantai excavation reports at 1980, 1982, 1984, only few shards⁴ of Northern Song ware were found compared to Islamic ware. This may be because at that time many Eastern trading ships entered some of the South Indian Cola ports like Nagapattam because of Cola occupation of the Island in about 10th century.
Valuable southern Song (1127-1270A.D) Ceramics hoard have been unearthed from inland and sea costal sites in the island. The North West coastal sites as Vankalai, Allaipiddy in Keyts and Jaffna Yielded hoards of Chinese porcelain including best quality Song white ware (qing bai). John Carswel who conducted that rescue excavation in sand dunes of above mentioned costal sites. More than six thousand shards were cleaned and shorted⁵. He identified 443 vessels and 35 types including white porcelain (qing bai), bowls quality translucent white porcelain ewers, stem cups, fragment of northern celadons.

The biggest collection of south Song porcelain, including white ware dish, Green-yellow glaze ware olive green decorated bowl ) have been unearthed at Polonnaruwa Alahana parivana site (north central province of Sri Lanka). Most of those were from Yue kilns, Longquan kilns in Zhejiang province, Fujian province Changsha and Jingdezhen in the Jiangxi Province which are well known place for Chinese porcelain in China. The other important site for South Song ceramics was Yapahuwa (North western province). Three complete bowls found from Yapahuawa, included two white ware and one celadon.

Blue and white porcelain of later dynasties of Yuan (1271-1368A.D) Ming (1368-1644A.D) and Qing(1644-1911) have been found from several archeological sites in Sri Lanka. First evidence about few pieces of Chinese blue and white were form Polonnaruwa⁶ and dated about Yuan period in china. According to textual references and archaeological expeditions many blue and white porcelain came to Sri Lanka from about 14th -16th centuries. Most famous Chinese Ming court eunuch Admiral Zheng He  visited the island 4 times. This is supported by the trilingual inscription found at Galle port (Southern Sri Lanka) including Chinese inscription and Blue and white porcelain unearth in South-west and south costal line Colombo, Beruwala, Galle，and some of the big donation collection complete vessel of blue and white and Yuan monochrome ware in National museum of Sri Lanka.


Conclusion:

Several collections of ancient Chinese ceramics have been unearthed in Sri Lanka from ancient port sites as well as from archeologically important inland sites such as historical monasteries. The ceramics found date back to ancient Chinese dynasties, the earliest from the period of Tang dynasty’s (618-906 A.D)

On 411-412 A.D the grate Buddhist expediter Fa-shian reported that he did saw Chinese made Taffeta fan in front of the Buddhist statue at Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka. Most of inland hoard of Chinese Ceramics have been discovered in Buddhist monastery sites in the island since Tang dynasty to southern Song dynasty. These findings suggest that at that time normal people did not use such a porcelain ware and the usage was limited only to royalty or monasteries. It is possible that valuable gifts as ceramics received by nobles were re-gifted to monastery as a local custom.

There are historical references that Chinese devotees came to Sri Lanka to pay pilgrims to Buddhist temple in groups and also individually. 1352 Chinese coins⁷ and Porcelain ware which dated about Song period have been unearthed in Yapahuwa rock port and Buddhist temple (12th-13th centuries).

The ancient Chinese ceramics found in Sri Lanka disclose international trade, cultural and political relations between ancient China and Sri Lanka. It is reasonable to conclude that all ceramics remains not only came as trade items but also as some of the religious and political gifts. Geographical position of the island was the most special significant factor for that relationship. The island was established as center of bartering trade goods since long time. One hand they supply their mercantile goods as ceramics, Silk, lacquer for western ships and bartering their silk Ceramics for the Sri Lankan good as gems, spices, pearls, Chanks etc. Apparently Sino Sri Lanka trade relations were started since Tang dynasty and reached to its peak levels in 13th -15th centuries.

The ancient Chinese porcelain remains found in Sri Lanka clearly indicate some of the development stages of Chinese porcelain industry.

Reference:
[1].Siriweera W.I. China’s Ceramic trade with ancient Rajarata
[2].Wimalabhuddi Balagalle Rev. 1960 “Fahiange Deshatana varthawa” (Sinhala translation) Colombo
[3].Pramathilaka P.L 1999.(Chinese ceramics discovered in Sri Lanka –An overview) Silk road of the Sea Colombo
[4].Frenendo M.F.1999-(Mantai-Mahatittha:The grate port and entrepot in the Indian ocean trade) Silk road of the Sea Colombo
[5]. Pramathilaka P.L 1999.(Chinese ceramics discovered in Sri Lanka –An overview) Silk road of
the Sea Colombo
[6]. Pramathilaka P.L 1999.(Chinese ceramics discovered in Sri Lanka –An overview) Silk road of
the Sea Colombo
[7].Yapahuwa 2001 (archaeological exploration report) Archaeological survey department Colombo 7
 

斯里兰卡出土的中国古陶瓷的初步研究

贾兴和

中国科学术大学科技史与科技考古系 合肥 230026，斯里兰卡考古司 科伦坡 7

摘要：

斯里兰卡已发掘出大量中国古代陶瓷。最早年代始于唐(618-906A.D)，目前可知的5个朝代的陶瓷遗存，包括北宋、南宋、明朝和清朝。在古港口同时发现的还有中国古代钱币、碑刻等，这些遗存对研究古代中国和斯里兰卡的陶瓷交流有着重要的考古意义和历史价值

 关键词:中国古陶瓷，中国，斯里兰卡

 

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