This is the Main Division which safeguards and maintains archaeological monuments and reserved lands in which other divisions of the Department of Archaeology are intervened, is the Maintenance Division.
This division performs the following activities in order to achieve the above objectives.
- Promotion of human and institutional resources.
- Demarcation of archaeological reserved lands and their maintenance.
- Conservation, establishment, maintenance and preservation at park level of protected monuments selected for basic conservation during the year.
- Fixing of necessary display boards at the archaeological sites and providing infrastructure facilities to departmental employees and tourists.
- Maintenance of new buildings of the department.
- Fulfillment of essential maintenance work of protected monuments belonging to individuals.
- Issue of trade license for selected archaeological sites.
- Compilation of reports on previous maintenance work.
Administrative Hierarchy of the Division
The Maintenance Division which functions in this manner implements the concepts of maintenance zones under the decentralization of the Maintenance Division in regions. Thus as illustrated below, all archaeological maintenance work is implemented in their respective zones. Similarly, in accordance with the archaeological policy, the Maintenance Division functions as Northern Circle and Southern Circle under two Deputy Directors.
Maintenance Zones Allocated According to the Divisional Secretariats Divisions
Northern Province | - | 04 zones | ||
North Central Province | - | 09 zones | ||
Western Province | - | 06 zones | ||
North Western Province | - | 08 zones | ||
Central Province | - | 06 zones | ||
Western Province | - | 04 zones | ||
Sabaragamuwa Province | - | 06 zones | ||
Uva Province | - | 06 zones | ||
Southern Province | - | 06 zones |
Activities of the Maintenance Division
01. | Repairs to Departmental buildings. |
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Regional Office, Ampara | |||||
02. |
Supply of minor tools and implements to archaeological sites. | ||||
Implements required by worksites are to be obtained under the annual financial provision distributed to Provincial Offices. | |||||
03. | Archaeological circuit Bungalows (Repairs to field quarters and museums) | ||||
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Mihintale museum | |||||
04. | Construction of roads and foot paths | ||||
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Foot Paths at Hatthikuchchi | Stone Laying at Ritigala | ||||
05. | Maintenance of conserved Monuments | ||||
Roofs of monuments once conserved are to be repaired again approximately in 10 years (Target is 20 sites per year) | |||||
Katupotha Galahena Vihara | |||||
06. | Construction of retaining walls and establishment of monument walls. | ||||
Parts of wall strengthened by architectural conservation are subject to destruction due to natural causes and human activities . Such walls are to be reestablished and masonary strengthening should take place. | |||||
The wall established at the archaeological site at Panduwasnuwara |
Kulumimakada archaeological site | ||||
07. | Landscaping at Archaeological sites and provision of facilities for Departmental employees and tourists. | ||||
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Kaludiya Pokuna at Mihintale | Asana Ghara at Kokambe | ||||
08. | Preparation of Boards | ||||
The Department of Archaeology fixes the following boards at sites for giving directions to and raising awareness in tourists. | |||||
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Board with road signs | Board with a warning message | ||||
Identification boards near monuments | Board with translations of inscriptions | ||||
09. | Fixing boundary poles and erection of fences. | ||||
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10. | Providing Infrastructure facilities to new Archaeological sites. | ||||
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Places and monuments maintained at present by the Maintenance Division are as follows: | ||||
Museums | 14 | |||
Field Quarters | 08 | |||
Circuit Bungalows | 07 | |||
Sales outlets for books | 15 | |||
Provincial laboratories | 03 | |||
Work sites | 2488 | |||
Monuments | 7056 |