Ven. Pahiyangal Sumangala
Senior Lecturer (Grade II)
Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies
Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies · Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka
Biography
Ven. Pahiyangal Sumangala is a Senior Lecturer (Grade II) in the Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies at the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka. His academic specialization is archaeology, with particular interests in prehistory, settlement archaeology, environmental archaeology and anthropology. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology at the University of Kelaniya in 2015 and a Doctor of Philosophy in Archaeology at Sichuan University, China, in 2025. His research is strongly field-based and examines prehistoric human settlement, cave and rock-shelter archaeology, environmental adaptation, material culture and long-term human occupation in Sri Lanka.
He has played a significant role in major archaeological field projects and academic coordination at the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka. His responsibilities include coordinating postgraduate degree programmes, serving on the Study Board, coordinating the Archaeology Degree Programme and Archaeology Museum, and acting as Coordinator and Principal Investigator of the Fa-Hien Lena and Kebella-Lena excavation projects undertaken through bilateral collaboration between the Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka and Sichuan University. His publication record includes peer-reviewed research in international journals such as Quaternary Science Reviews and studies on prehistoric rainforest foragers, clay cist graves, colouring pigments, rock-shelter deposits and archaeological landscapes in Sri Lanka. His academic achievements include Senate Awards for scientific research, a Best Presenter award from the University of Kelaniya, and a research award received in 2026.
Educational Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Archaeology, School of History and Culture (Tourism), Sichuan University, China, 2025
Master of Arts in Philosophy, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2019
Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015
Academic Positions
Senior Lecturer (Grade II), Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2021–Present)
Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019–2021)
Lecturer (Probationary), Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2016–2019)
Temporary Lecturer, Department of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya (2015–2016)
Administrative Positions
Coordinator, Postgraduate Degree Programme, Unit of Postgraduate, External Degree and Extension Courses, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2026–Present)
Member, Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2016–Present)
Member, Study Board, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2026)
Coordinator, Archaeology Degree Programme, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2019–2021)
Coordinator, Archaeology Museum, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka (2017–2020)
Coordinator / Principal Investigator, Fa-Hien Lena Excavation Project, BUSL–Sichuan University Bilateral Collaboration Programme (2023)
Coordinator / Principal Investigator, Kebella-Lena Excavation Project, BUSL–Sichuan University Bilateral Collaboration Programme (2022)
Publications & Research
Journal Articles (Peer-Reviewed)5
- Sumangala, P., Perera, N., Bulbeck, D., Shev, G. T., Weerarathne, K. P. M., Perera, J., Manatunga, A., De Mel, L. V. A., Jinarathana, K., Wimalakhanthi, G., Uparathana, U., Buddikasiri, P. R. A., Hu, Y., & Lu, H. (2026). Foragers in Ancient Rainforests in Sri Lanka: Late Pleistocene to Late Holocene Evidence from Fa-Hien Lena Rockshelter. Quaternary Science Reviews, 385, 109985. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2026.109985.
- Sumangala, P., Perera, N., Premathilake, R., Perera, J., Uparathana, U., Jinarathana, K., Wimalakhanthi, G., Hu, Y., & Lu, H. (2025). Terminal Pleistocene to Mid-Holocene Rainforest Foragers in Sri Lanka: Multidisciplinary Insights at Kebella-Lena Rock Shelter. Quaternary Science Reviews, 351, 109201. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2025.109201.
- Sumangala, P. (2026). Early Historical Clay Cist Graves at Kalotuwawa in Sri Lanka. People’s Journal Sri Lanka, 2(1), Department of History and Archaeology, University of Ruhuna.
- Sumangala, P. (2026). Floor Stone Tile of the Terminal Pleistocene Deposit in the Kebella-Lena Rockshelter of Sri Lanka. International Journal of Current Research and Applied Studies, 5(2), 24–30. DOI: 10.61646/IJCRAS.vol.5.issue2.141.
- Sumangala, P. (2025). Study of Coloring Pigments in Sri Lanka: Late Pleistocene to Holocene from Wet Zone Rock Shelters. Pravacana, 16(2), 14–23.
Conference Papers (International)2
- Sumangala, P. (2015). An Analysis of Environmental Factors that Influenced Homo sapiens in Establishing Human Settlements at Batadomba-lena. International Conference on Multidisciplinary Approaches, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Sri Jayewardenepura.
- Sumangala, P. (2015). A Study of the Environment on Establishing Settlement of Homo sapiens around Fa-Hien Cave (Pahiyangala Cave). Research Symposium for Temporary Academic Staff, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Kelaniya.
Book Chapters1
- Sumangala, P. (2020). Chapter on Monastic Education in Sri Lanka. In Elements of Education – Studies of Education Science, Vol. II, Issue II, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka, 17–26. [English rendering based on source context; original title appears in legacy encoding.]
Awards & Distinctions
Best Academic Researcher Award, World Research Awards / Metallurgical Engineering Awards, 2026
Senate Award for Scientific Research Paper, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka, 2026
Senate Award for Scientific Research Paper, Bhiksu University of Sri Lanka, 2025
Best Presenter – Research Paper, Staff Development Centre, University of Kelaniya, 2017
Fields of Interest
Memberships
Associate Member, Sri Lanka Council of Archaeologists (2016–Present)
Corporate Member, ICOMOS (2026–Present)