Country Sri Lanka

ri Lanka's documented history spans 3,000 years, with evidence of pre-historic human settlements
dating back to at least 125,000 years.[13] It has a rich cultural heritage and the first
known Buddhist writings of Sri Lanka, the Pāli Canon, date back to the Fourth Buddhist council in 29
BC.[14][15] Its geographic location and deep harbours made it of great strategic importance from the
time of the ancient Silk Road through to the modern Maritime Silk Road.[16][17][18
 1 - Prehistory

Main article: Prehistory of Sri Lanka

The pre-history of Sri Lanka goes back 125,000 years and possibly even as far back as 500,000 years.[35] The era spans
the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and early Iron Ages. Among the Paleolithic human settlements discovered in Sri
Lanka, Pahiyangala(named after the Chinese traveller monk Faxian), which dates back to 37,000
BP,[36] Batadombalena (28,500 BP)[37] and Belilena (12,000 BP) are the most important. In these caves, archaeologists have
found the remains of anatomically modern humans which they have named Balangoda Man, and other evidence[38] suggesting
that they may have engaged in agricultureand kept domestic dogs for driving game.[39]