Godawaya Shipwreck Exhibition Opens Sept 3

COLOMBO (News 1st); The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Central Cultural Fund’s Maritime Archaeology Unit, will host a special exhibition and symposium from September 3 to 5 at the BMICH Cinema Lounge, Colombo. 

The event will spotlight the documentation and preservation of artifacts from the Godawaya Shipwreck, one of Sri Lanka’s most historically significant maritime heritage sites.

The exhibition will open to the public at 11:00 a.m. on September 3, and continue daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on September 4 and 5.

Discovered off the coast of Godawaya, a fishing village in southern Sri Lanka, the Godawaya Ancient Shipwreck is the oldest known wooden shipwreck in the Asia-Pacific region, dating back over 2,100 years to the 1st or 2nd century BCE. 

This underwater archaeological site offers rare insights into early Indian Ocean trade and ancient seafaring.

The project is funded through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), a U.S. Government initiative that supports projects worldwide to safeguard cultural heritage — from historic sites and artifacts to traditional art forms. Through AFCP, experts have recovered and documented remarkable artifacts at Godawaya, including clay pottery, grinding stones, glass and metal ingots, and carnelian beads, shedding light on Sri Lanka’s ancient role in regional trade and cultural exchange. Ongoing conservation and research efforts aim to uncover the ship’s exact origin and further illuminate its place in maritime history. 

The symposium will bring together maritime archaeologists and cultural experts to discuss the significance of the Godawaya site and the broader importance of protecting Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage. Artifacts recovered from the site will be preserved and displayed at the Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle, ensuring public access for both Sri Lankans and international visitors