ABSTRACT
There are many references to Sri Lankan ships in the historical records of Sri Lanka, as well as other countries. Yet, we have little idea of the appearance or structural characteristics of the early vessels. This paper, which tries to find an answer to these questions, is presented in two parts. Part 1 states the hypothesis and the path followed to test it. Part 2 describes the traditional ships that survived into this century. The inland watercraft, which are important for a fuller appreciation of this subject, are not dealt with here as I have dealt with them at length elsewhere. (Devendra 1995: 211–238)
