Mapagala fortress was an ancient fortified complex of the
Anuradhapura Kingdom long before
Kasyapa I built his city,
Sigiriya
Sigiriya or Sinhagiri (''Lion Rock'' , , pronounced SEE-gi-ri-yÉ™) is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeologic ...
. It is located to the South of Sigiriya and closer to
Sigiriya tank.
It was built by using unshaped boulders to about 20 ft high. Each stone is broad and thick and some of them are about 10 ft high and about 4 ft wide. It is believed that it was built before the time of usage of metal tools.
Arthur Maurice Hocart noted that cyclopean style stone walls were used for the fortress, and square hammered stones were used for the ramparts of the citadel. However, his note suggests metal (iron) tools were used for construction. Excavations work in this areas found a few stone forges, which proved Hocart's claim on the usage of metal tools.
References
Further reading
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{{Anuradhapura period topics
Forts in Central Province, Sri Lanka
Kingdom of Anuradhapura
Buildings and structures in Matale District