Ships sunk on the east coast of Sri Lanka during the British era
Dublin Core
Title
Ships sunk on the east coast of Sri Lanka during the British era
Description
The eastern coast of Sri Lanka is considered to be the coastal region from the Kokilai lagoon in the north to Panama
in the south. The coastal region has been used for various activities with various marine relations since the BC
period. The activities of the Portuguese, Dutch and English in this coastal region during the period of colonial rule
were continued. This can be confirmed by reference to archaeological and literary sources.
Due to the uniqueness of Trincomalee natural harbor in the world, this area can be recognized as an area
that has been controlled as a colony by various foreign nationalities since the past. This Paper outlines the
information about the sunken ships in the naval activities of the British rule in the east coast region of Sri Lanka.
There are many ships that sank due to natural disasters, industrial errors and human activities. and the most notable
are the ships sunk due to attacks during the Second World War. The number of ships found in that area are about
twenty-one. Of these, about eight of these ships sank during the Second World War.
In addition to discussing information about the ships SS Ava, HMS Diamode, SS British Sergeant, another
unique quality of this research paper is the graveyard of the Pasikuda area, which has been introduced by Mr.
Darshana Jayawardena, who is engaged in diving research in the sea Coast around Sri Lanka, in the book called
Ghost of the Deep. Discussing the identification of the four sunken ships at the place called shipwrecks with the
intervention of the Maritime Archeology Unit. Accordingly, it is hoped to identify the cultural heritage related to the
water created by sunken ships in the eastern sea region, which is a special sea region, and to discuss related
activities.
in the south. The coastal region has been used for various activities with various marine relations since the BC
period. The activities of the Portuguese, Dutch and English in this coastal region during the period of colonial rule
were continued. This can be confirmed by reference to archaeological and literary sources.
Due to the uniqueness of Trincomalee natural harbor in the world, this area can be recognized as an area
that has been controlled as a colony by various foreign nationalities since the past. This Paper outlines the
information about the sunken ships in the naval activities of the British rule in the east coast region of Sri Lanka.
There are many ships that sank due to natural disasters, industrial errors and human activities. and the most notable
are the ships sunk due to attacks during the Second World War. The number of ships found in that area are about
twenty-one. Of these, about eight of these ships sank during the Second World War.
In addition to discussing information about the ships SS Ava, HMS Diamode, SS British Sergeant, another
unique quality of this research paper is the graveyard of the Pasikuda area, which has been introduced by Mr.
Darshana Jayawardena, who is engaged in diving research in the sea Coast around Sri Lanka, in the book called
Ghost of the Deep. Discussing the identification of the four sunken ships at the place called shipwrecks with the
intervention of the Maritime Archeology Unit. Accordingly, it is hoped to identify the cultural heritage related to the
water created by sunken ships in the eastern sea region, which is a special sea region, and to discuss related
activities.
Creator
Jinali Ekanayake
Indika U. Hevage
Rasika Muthucumarana
Publisher
The Museum of Underwater Archaeology
Date
2023
Language
English
Bibliographic Citation
Ekanayake, Jinali and Indika U. Hevage. 2023. “Ships sunk on the east coast of Sri Lanka during the British era.” Edited by Jennifer Craig, Jay Mok, T. Kurt Knoerl, and Brian Fahy. In Proceedings of Fifth Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage: Gwangju, The Republic of Korea, November 13-18 2023. The Museum of Underwater Archaeology. URL: https://apconf.omeka.net/exhibits/show/apconfproceedings/item/1987
Files
Citation
Jinali Ekanayake, Indika U. Hevage , and Rasika Muthucumarana, “Ships sunk on the east coast of Sri Lanka during the British era,” Asia Pacific Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage Proceedings, accessed September 16, 2026, https://apconf.omeka.net/items/show/1987.