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Pottery Lid — Maritime Archaeology Museum

Pottery Lid

Maritime Archaeology Museum Maritime History Historical
Period
Historical
Date
2025-08-05
Materials
Clay
Dimensions
L-15.5cm, W-8cm
Site
Godawaya Shipwreck
Location
Galle > Maritime Archaeology Museum > Gallery 01 > Cabinet 09
Inventory
GDV/2014/77

Full Description

This lid was found in the Godawaya archaeological site in 2014. The lid is 15.5 cm long, 8 cm wide, weighs 355 grams, and is about 6.92 mm thick.
Historical Context The ship, dated to the 2nd century BCE, contained pottery shards that are considered to belong to the 2nd–3rd centuries BCE. This has also been confirmed through analyses conducted on the pottery shards. The pottery found at the Godavaya site shows similarities to those discovered in the excavations at Tissamaharama and Anuradhapura. So far, evidence belonging to 11 ancient pottery types has been identified across the country. From the Godavaya site, pottery remnants corresponding to seven of these types have been uncovered. Accordingly, it is clear that these pottery vessels were used not only for domestic consumption but also in maritime navigation activities.