The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, in partnership with the Central Cultural Fund’s Maritime Archaeology Unit, will host a special exhibition and symposium on the Godawaya Shipwreck from 3rd to 5th of September at the BMICH Cinema Lounge in Colombo.
The event will highlight the documentation and preservation of artifacts from the Godawaya Ancient Shipwreck—Sri Lanka’s most significant maritime heritage site and the oldest known wooden shipwreck in the Asia-Pacific region, dating back more than 2,100 years to the 1st or 2nd century BCE.
The exhibition will open to the public at 11:00 a.m. on 3rd of September and continue daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on 4th and 5th of September. Visitors will have the opportunity to view artifacts that shed light on Sri Lanka’s ancient role in Indian Ocean trade and seafaring.
Discovered off the southern fishing village of Godawaya, the site has yielded remarkable finds including clay pottery, grinding stones, glass and metal ingots, and carnelian beads. These discoveries provide rare insights into early trade networks and cultural exchange in the region.
The project is supported by the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), a U.S. government initiative that helps safeguard global cultural heritage. Ongoing conservation and research efforts aim to determine the ship’s origins and its broader historical significance.
A symposium held alongside the exhibition will bring together maritime archaeologists and cultural experts to discuss the importance of the Godawaya site and the need to protect Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. Artifacts recovered from the site will be preserved and displayed at the Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle for public viewing by both Sri Lankans and international visitors.
