Image title: Ancient stone anchor

English text:

Ancient stone anchor — These remains of stone anchors were discovered from an archeological survey of the sea-bed near the Galle harbhor. A piece of wood preserved intact with one of these stone slabs has been dated to 13th Century CE.such stone anchors were used by the Arab sailors. There is historical evidence to show that there was a considerably large arab population in Sri Lanka during the 13th Century. These stone anchors may have belonged to Arabic ships that arrived in the Galle port at that time.

Note: The Sinhala word Nanguram (“anchor”) is possibly related to the Marathi Nāṅgara (नाङ्गर, nangara), the Prakrit Ṇaṃgara (णंगर, namgara) and the Sanskrit Lāṅgala (लाङ्गल, langala) which means “plough”.

Sinhala text (not proofread):

පුරාණ ගල් නැංගුරම් — පුරාණ ගල් නැංගුරම් වලට අයත් මෙම කොටස් සොයා ගන්නා ලද්දේ ගාලු වරාය තදාශ්‍රිත මුහුදු පතුලෙන් කරන ලද පුරාවිද්‍යාත්මක සමීක්ෂණයකදීය. මෙහි එක් ගල් පතුරකට සවිකොට තිබූ දැව කොටසක් ක්‍රිස්තු විෂයෙන් 13 වන සියවසට දින නිර්නය කොට තිබේ. අරාබි නායකයින් සිය යාත්‍රා වල මේ අකාරයේ ශෛලමය නැංගුරම් භාවිත කර තිබේ. ක්‍රිස්තු වර්ෂයෙන් 13 වන සියවසේදී සැලකිය යුතු ප්‍රමාණයේ අරාබි වෙළඳ ප්‍රජාවක් ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ විසූ බවට ඓතිහාසික සාධක තිබේ. සමහර විටෙක මෙම ශෛලමය නැංගුරම් ගාලු වරායට පැමිණි අරාබි නැව් වලට අයත් වූවා විය හැකිය.

Transcription:

purāṇa gal næṅguram — purāṇa gal næṅguram valaṭa ayat mema koṭas soyā gannā laddē gālu varāya tadāśrita muhudu patulen karana lada purāvidyātmaka samīkṣaṇayakadīya. mehi ek gal paturakaṭa savikoṭa tibū dæva koṭasak kristu viṣayen 13 vana siyavasaṭa dina nirnaya koṭa tibē. arābi nāyakayin siya yātrā vala mē akārayē śaĩlamaya næṅguram bhāvita kara tibē. kristu varṣayen 13 vana siyavasēdī sælakiya yutu pramāṇayē arābi veḷanda prajāvak śrī laṅkāvē visū bavaṭa aitihāsika sādhaka tibē. samahara viṭeka mema śaĩlamaya næṅguram gālu varāyaṭa pæmiṇi arābi næv valaṭa ayat vūvā viya hækiya.

Transcription:

purana gal nanguram — purana gal nanguram valata ayat mema kotas soya ganna ladde galu varaya tadashrita muhudu patulen karana lada puravidyatmaka samikshanayakadiya. mehi ek gal paturakata savikota tibu dava kotasak kristu vishayen 13 vana siyavasata dina nirnaya kota tibe. arabi nayakayin siya yatra vala me akaraye shailamaya nanguram bhavita kara tibe. kristu varshayen 13 vana siyavasedi salakiya yutu pramanaye arabi velanda prajavak shri lankave visu bavata aitihasika sadhaka tibe. samahara viteka mema shailamaya nanguram galu varayata pamini arabi nav valata ayat vuva viya hakiya.

Automated translation (not verified):

These fragments of ancient stone anchors were discovered during an archaeological survey of the seabed off Galle Harbour. Here, a piece of wood attached to one of the stones has been dated to the 13th century from the subject of Christ. Arab leaders used this type of stone anchors on their ships. There is historical evidence that a significant Arab trading community lived in Sri Lanka in the 13th century AD. Perhaps these stone anchors belonged to the Arab ships that came to the port of Galle.

Tamil text (not proofread):

புராதன கல் நங்கூரம் — காலித் துறைமுகத்திற்கு. அருகில் உள்ள கடற் படுக்கையில் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்ட தொல்லியல் ஆய்வின்போது இக் கல் நங்கூரத்தின் எஞ்சிய பகுதி கண்டெடுக்கப்பட்டது. கி.மு. 13ம் நூற்றாண்டுக்குரிய மரத் துண்டு ஒன்றும் இக் கல் அடுக்குகளுக்குள் பழுதடையாமல் பாதுகாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இவ் வகை கல் நங்கூரங்கள் அராபிய மாலுமிகளால் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டன. கி.மு.13ம் நூற்றாண்டு காலப்பகுதியில் இலங்கையில் கணிசமாக பெரிய அளவிலான அராபிய சனத்தொகை காணப்பட்டமைக்கு வரலாற்றுச் சான்றாக காணப்படுகிறது. இந்த கல் நங்கூரங்கள் அந்தக் காலத்தில் காலிக் கோட்டைக்கு வந்த அராபியக் கப்பல்களைச் சேர்ந்தவையாக இருக்கலாம்.

Transcription:

purātaṉa kal naṅkūram — kālit tuṟaimukattiṟku. arukil uḷḷa kaṭaṟ paṭukkaiyil mēṟkoḷḷappaṭṭa tolliyal āyviṉpōtu ik kal naṅkūrattiṉ eñciya pakuti kaṇṭeṭukkappaṭṭatu. ki.mu. 13m nūṟṟāṇṭukkuriya marat tuṇṭu oṉṟum ik kal aṭukkukaḷukkuḷ paḻutaṭaiyāmal pātukākkappaṭṭuḷḷatu. iv vakai kal naṅkūraṅkaḷ arāpiya mālumikaḷāl payaṉpaṭuttappaṭṭaṉa. ki.mu.13m nūṟṟāṇṭu kālappakutiyil ilaṅkaiyil kaṇicamāka periya aḷavilāṉa arāpiya caṉattokai kāṇappaṭṭamaikku varalāṟṟuc cāṉṟāka kāṇappaṭukiṟatu. inta kal naṅkūraṅkaḷ antak kālattil kālik kōṭṭaikku vanta arāpiyak kappalkaḷaic cērntavaiyāka irukkalām.

Transcription:

purathana kal nanguram — kalith thuraimugathirku. arugil ulla kadar padukkaiyil merkollappatta tholliyal ayvinpothu ig kal nangurathin enchiya paguthi kandedukkappattathu. ki.mu. 13m nurrandukkuriya marath thundu onrum ig kal adukkugalukkul pazhuthadaiyamal pathugakkappattullathu. iv vagai kal nangurangal arapiya malumigalal payanpaduthappattana. ki.mu.13m nurrandu kalappaguthiyil ilangaiyil kanisamaga periya alavilana arapiya sanathogai kanappattamaikku varalarrus sanraga kanappadugirathu. intha kal nangurangal anthag kalathil kalig kottaikku vantha arapiyag kappalkalais sernthavaiyaga irukkalam.

Automated translation (not verified):

[???] Remains of this stone anchor were found during archaeological excavations on the nearby sea bed. BC A 13th century wooden fragment is preserved intact within these stone layers. These types of stone anchors were used by Arab sailors. There is historical evidence of a significantly large Arab population in Sri Lanka during the 13th century BC. These stone anchors may belong to the Arab ships that came to the Gallic fort during that period.

Gallery information:

These photos were taken at the Maritime Museum in Galle (Sri Lanka) which include objects recovered from the 2nd century B.C. Godawaya shipwreck. The Maritime Museum is housed in Galle's historic Dutch warehouse (built in 1671) and opened its doors on May 9, 1992. The Maritime Archaeology Museum is serving as a centre of education for various groups of visitors and researchers of Southern region of Sri Lanka.