Ancient history and settlement.
Main article: History of Sri Lanka § Early Age. The first Sri Lankans left a rich trail of prehistoric settlements and complex hydraulic civilizations.
Their early buildings and grand monuments, however, were highly durable. Unlike dispersed island settlements, early Sri Lankan kingdoms built massive stone fortresses, sprawling monastic complexes, and sophisticated earthwork reservoirs (wewas) that survived centuries of tropical jungle overgrowth. Moreover, kings resided in elaborate stone palaces, and their deeply rooted Buddhist and Hindu religions required the construction of towering stupas—some of the largest brick structures in the ancient world—and vast temple compounds. Comparative studies of Sri Lankan oral chronicles (like the Mahavamsa).
Geography
Ancient history and settlement.
The Sri Lanka consists of 1 main continental island surrounded by several small satellite islands, located in the Indian Ocean just south of the Indian subcontinent, spread over roughly 65,610 square kilometres (25,332 sq mi), making this a highly compact yet geographically diverse country. It lies between latitudes 5° and 10°N, and longitudes 79° and 82°E. The island is composed of a flat coastal plain that rises abruptly into a central mountainous mass, situated atop a continental shelf that drops steeply into the deep ocean floor, surrounded by extensive coral reefs and sandy beaches that run continuously around its perimeter. Only near the northern end of this natural landmass do shallow waters and a chain of limestone shoals permit safe