ABSTRACT
To appreciate fully the “Lost Cities,” it is essential to realize that they were ecclesiastical rather than civic in foundation and atmosphere. No medieval town in Europe was more dependent on the Church than were the Singalese cities on Buddhism. Both kings and nobles rejoiced in their subserviency to the bhikkhus, and royal and aristocratic piety were alone judged on this ingenuous criterion. In consequence, the principal edifices in every city were of an ecclesiastical order, and of these by far the most important were the dagobas which, owing to their solid construction, remain to-day the chief architectural features of the “Lost Cities.” The origin, function, and appearance of the dagoba must therefore receive brief consideration.
