ABSTRACT
Yesyesthisisallverywell,Edmund,butunlesswealsoestablishthe economiccredentialsoftheGardenthesesentiments,andtheirother efficienciesaccordingtoTable1.2ofChapter1,mightcountforlittle.
3.1Background
ThetrueoriginsofforestgardensinSriLankawillprobablyneverbe known.FromarchaeologicalevidenceincavemiddensdeLanerolle (1985)putstheoriginsofearliestsignsof'agriculture'inSriLankaat 9-10000BC.Significantlythesefindingshavebeenintheforestedhill areas,notontheplains;andofequalsignificancetheyaretreefood remains:theseedsofwildbreadfruit,wildplantainandvariousnuts (Genesis).It'sanopenquestionwhetherthesefirstpeopletheYakkasand theirsuccessorstheVeddhaswereactuallyaboriculturistsaswellashuntergatherers(theywerenevercultivators).Butsincetheyoccupiedtheland foratleast10000yearsbeforethearrivalofthemodernSinghalesepeople aslndo-AryantribesfromNorthIndiac600BCtherewasampletimefor thesepriorYakkas-Veddhastohavedevelopedsomeformofaboriculture, atleastofforestenrichment,thoughthisisunprovenanditwouldnothave beenassophisticatedasegPoseywastofindinthetreeresourceislandsof Amazonia.(Therearenowonlyabout2-3000aboriginalVeddhasleft.)
WhentheSinghaleseancestorsarrivedonthisearlyGreatFrontierof Elankai,laterLanka,beforethetimeofGuatamatheBuddha(d.483BC), theyestablishedthemselvesonthedryplainsofthenorthcentralpartofthe islandaroundwhatwastobecometheircapitalofAnuradhapura. Alexander'sGreeksmappedwhattheysawasThambapanilater Taprobane,butdidn'tlinger;theyhadmoreambitiousNationBuilding furtheruptheGrandTrunkRoad.Theancestorsdevelopedagreatagro-
civilizationbasedonirrigatedrice,initiallybypondingsmallmonsoonal streams,thesetodevelopintovillage'tanks'theneventuallyintooneofthe world'sgreatstateplannedirrigationsystems,withnetworksofsupply canalsandevenundergroundtunnelssuppliedbyreservoirs.. .solargethe ancientscalledthemSeas.IncursionsbytheTamilkingdomsofSouth Indiaintensifiedoverthecenturies,culminatingintheSinghaleseshifting theircapitalfurthereasttoPolonnaruwa(c1070AD)whereasecondgreat ricecivilizationwasestablished,againbasedonmassivepublicirrigation worksfinancedbyaricetax.
