Prof. Anura Manatunga steps down as DG of Archeology Dept.

The Director General of the Department of Archeology Prof. Anura Manatunga has tendered his letter of resignation from his post to the Ministry Secretary, the Minister for Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Vidura Wickramanayaka said.

Prof. Manatuga had been appointed as the Director General of the Department of Archaeology with effect from the 1st of January 2021, in the wake of former Director General Dr. Senarath Dissanayake retiring from the service. 

Professor Manatunga previously served as the Director at the Centre for Heritage Studies of the University of Kelaniya and was the former Head of the Department. 

He also served as the Archaeological Director of the Polonnaruwa Project of the Central Cultural Fund during 1999-2013. 

He was the General Secretary of the International Association for Asian Heritage (IAAH) and a Fellow of the Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists, and a former Joint Secretary and Vice President of the Council.  

He has been a member of the Advisory Committee of the Department of Archaeology for several decades. His areas of expertise are History of Archaeology, Archaeology Theory and Methods, Indian Pre and Proto History, and Archaeology Law and Ethics. 

Most of his important discoveries at Sigiriya and other sites are pioneering work in Sri Lankan archaeology.