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Improving self management skills of persons with disabilities

 Travel seeks to improve the self-management skills of people with disabilities in their daily routine, since the travelling and its planning are used as a tool to practicing in collaboration with the travel team to take a step forward. For example, emphasis is placed on the management of the finances available to the team for each trip, the creation of concept maps about “what, when and how to decide to participate in a leisure activity during the #travel ”, the preparation of materials adapted to people with diverse #disabilities.

#Manique Gunaratne created an opportunity for a group of persons with disabilities to visit the #Ibbankatuwa Cemetery in Dambulla of Mathale district May 2022.

Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Cemetery (also known as Ibbankatuwa Proto-historic Burial Site) is an ancient burial site situated in Dambulla in Matale District, Sri Lanka. Extended in an area of about 13 hectares, the site comprises a large number of burials in cists made of stone slabs dating to the 7th century B.C. The cemetery is considered the biggest and the best-preserved proto-historic burial site in the country.

The cemetery site is located on the left bank of the Dambulu Oya, a tributary of Kala Oya. It generally consists of stone cist type burial graves of the Megalithic tradition. The burial chambers are square and rectangular in shape and have been constructed by placing granite slabs vertically erected Several chambers were covered with capstones and some of them were visible on the surface even before the excavations. In 1984, surface explorations performed at the site exposed a few non-Brahmi symbols (pictograms) inscribed on three separate cist capstones

Large and small clay pots containing human ashes were found placed inside the chambers. Certain clay pots were cylindrical in shape and smaller containers were discovered inside some of these clay vessels. Some tombs consist of multiple urns. A few pots contained minute bone fragments but none of the tombs contained complete or partial skeletons.

During the excavations, a large number of beads made of minerals such as clay, carnelian, onyx, agate were found inside the chambers. A majority of beads discovered in Ibbankatuwa are said to be exotics that originated hundreds of miles away in peninsular India. Cloth pins, bangles, leaf-shaped diadem, and metal objects such as iron, copper alloy, and gold were among the other findings of Ibbankatuwa.

  

 

Sandy pathway lined with vertically placed tree trunks. The path is shaded by overhead trees, creating dappled light and shadow on the ground. A person is standing further along the pathway, wearing dark pants and a black-and-white patterned shirt. The setting appears natural and rustic, surrounded by lush green foliage.

This image shows an information board displayed outdoors, featuring an image of ancient artifacts. ​Display Details ​The Board: A clear acrylic or glass panel is mounted onto rustic wooden posts or a tree trunk structure using metal standoffs. ​The Image: The panel displays a photo of five Black and Red ware pottery bowls of various sizes. These bowls appear aged, with textured surfaces showing shades of dark brown, black, and earthy yellow-orange. ​The Text: At the bottom of the board, there is a caption provided in three languages: Sinhala, Tamil, and English. The English text reads: "Black and Red ware pottery discovered from the excavation." ​Background ​The board is set against a natural backdrop of trees and foliage. ​Through the clear panel, you can see a stone or brick wall in the distance, suggesting this is located at an archaeological site or an outdoor museum.

These two images provide a look at the Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Burial Site in Sri Lanka, an ancient archaeological location dating back to the Iron Age (roughly 700–450 BC). ​Image 1: Archaeological Information Board ​This clear acrylic board is mounted outdoors between tree trunks to provide context for the site. ​The Artifacts: The board displays a photograph of five Black and Red ware pottery bowls found during excavations. This type of pottery is a hallmark of the early Iron Age in Sri Lanka and was often used as containers for grave goods or cremated remains. ​Multilingual Text: The caption at the bottom is written in Sinhala, Tamil, and English, stating: "Black and Red ware pottery discovered from the excavation". ​Image 2: Megalithic Burial Chambers ​This image shows a woman standing in front of the actual excavated ruins at the Ibbankatuwa site. ​Cist Tombs: In the background, you can see several clusters of cist burials. These are ancient stone tombs built by placing four upright stone slabs to form a chamber, which was then covered by a large flat capstone. ​The Landscape: The tombs are located in a cleared, sandy area surrounded by well-maintained green grass and lush tropical trees. ​Human Element: A woman wearing a black-and-white floral patterned blouse and dark trousers stands on a dirt path in the foreground, smiling toward the side of the frame.

These four images show scenes from a visit to an ancient archaeological site in Sri Lanka, likely the Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Burial Site. ​Historical Ruins and Artifacts ​Ancient Stone Platform: One image shows a low, rectangular stone structure featuring a central staircase flanked by carved guardstones. Small stone pillars remain on the platform, which is surrounded by lush grass and trees. ​Burial Chambers: Another photo shows an open sandy area containing cist tombs, which are ancient burial chambers made of upright stone slabs. ​Information Board: A transparent display panel shows a photo of "Black and Red ware pottery" found during excavations. The description is provided in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. ​People at the Site ​Portrait: A woman in a black-and-white floral blouse stands smiling in front of the burial chambers. ​Group Photo: A group of seven people are sitting together on stone benches in a shaded, wooded area. They are dressed casually, and a rustic wooden fence is visible in the background.


#Manique Gunaratne

E-mail – maniqueg@empfed.lk     manique.g@gmail.com   

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