• PhD      Palaeoecology            2003    Stockholm University, Sweden

Premathilake completed Phil. Lic and PhD dissertations at the School of Geoscience, Stockholm University, Sweden. Since completing Premathilake’s PhD in 2003, he has gone from holding two (2) postdoctoral positions in the School of Palaeoecology, Geography and Archaeology, Queens University (QUB), Belfast, UK (2008 and 2012) and ten (10) Research Fellowships (2013-2021) in the Department of Ecology and Palynology, French Institute of Pondicherry/CNRS, France and Sharma Centre for Heritage Education in India. Premathilake involved research, education and management in Environmental Archaeology and Quaternary Palaeoecology and Climate Change Science in South and Southeast Asia since 2003. In contrast, postgraduate level Teaching, Fieldwork in South and Southeast Asia, Laboratory Experiments, Excavations, Surveys and Innovative Research and Administration in attending more than 50 International Conferences were the critical elements of Premathilake’s research life. Three (4) INQUA-HaBcom (International Union for Quaternary Research-Human and Biosphere Commission) Workshops, Training and Skill Development Programs in Palaeoecology and Environmental Archaeology for South Asian Early Carrier Researchers and Master Students (ca. 50) have been conducted in association with the Senior Research and Administrative Staffs from the Department of Ecology/Palynology and Social Science, French Institute of Pondicherry and Sharma Centre, India. Internationally, Premathilake has produced more than 105 publications related to innovative research findings in Palaeoecology and Environmental Archaeology. Premathilake’s academic leadership and research excellence have been witnessed by more than twenty-seven (27) peer-review publications and more than sixteen (16) peer-reviewing activities given to a number of international research journals (all are based on Science Citation Index). More than ten (10) Precedential Awards and Merit Awards (2003- 2018), four (4) Honorary Research Awards from the International Association of Environmental Archaeology (2015-2018) and Vice-Chancellor Awards (2018-2021) for highly-rated scientific research as evaluated by peers and research published up to 2021, together with the most outstanding recipient of external research grants added great light into the academic contexts of the University of Kelaniya and PGIAR. Premathilake managed internal research contacts with several research institutions in Sri Lanka, India, the United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and several international funding bodies (e.g. INQUA and HabCOM) to develop Palynology and Phytolith Science as creative research disciplines in the line of Sri Lankan Archaeology. Premathilake worked on several international research projects conducted by British Academy (UK), National Research Council (Sri Lanka), International Quaternary Association (INQUA), Human and Biosphere Commission (HabCom) and India-France-Sri Lanka Cooperation from 2007 onwards. 

• Acting Director/Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology (07/2018-07/2019)

• Senior Academic Staff Member (2003-2022)

• SEDRIC-project. In this project, Premathilake works on the palaeoenvironmental context of the south-east coast of Sri Lanka with several other Senior Research Fellows from France, India and Sri Lanka where FSPI project - SEDRIC@SriL and 2020-2021-project support two fully funded M. Phil Students and five M.Sc Students at the PGIAR, University of Kelaniya. The project title is social-ecological dynamics in rapid economic development: infrastructure and coastal change in south-eastern Sri Lanka. Project is funded by the French Institute of Pondicherry, India, French cooperation under the umbrella of the French Embassy at Colombo. Currently, one part of the project, i.e. understanding of middle/late Holocene environmental changes in the south-east coast of Sri Lanka, is being conducted by Premathilake as one of the PIs.

• IFP-project. Premathilake works as Senior Research Fellow in the projects, Burial Archaeological Context and Palaeolithic Archaeological Sites in South India, operated by French Institute of Pondicherry (FIP), Pondicherry University, Department of History, Archaeology and International Studies/Pondicherry University, India, Sharma Centre for Heritage Education, India. Research methodologies used in this project are excavations and radiocarbon-dated pollen, and phytolith stratigraphy.

• MANDU project. In this project, Premathilake works as a Senior Research Fellow in association with other 16 Senior Research Fellows from France, the United Kingdom, India, UAS. Project PI is Dr. Anne Casile, Senior Research Fellow from the Department of Social Science, French Institute of Pondicherry and CNRS, France. The project investigates Histoires d'eau et de paysages en Asie- Mousson, anomalies climatiques et dynamiques sociétales en Inde médiévale- Landscapes and Waterscapes in Asia Monsoon, Climatic Anomalies and Societal Dynamics in Medieval India whereas social and environmental dynamics of India, i.e. the so called late medieval times (c. 1100 to 1500 CE) are concerned. Project tools include applying radiocarbon-dated pollen and phytolith stratigraphy/ /geoarchaeology/bioarchaeology. 

• Pollen Flora of Sinharaja, World Heritage Site. PGIAR is the only research institution conducting various aspects of Palynology and Phytolith Science in Sri Lanka (see: the most recent Elsevier Publications). Broad knowledge of pollen morphology and taxonomy is used as an instrument of multiple scientific research for several sub-disciplines, e.g. environmental archaeology, palaeoecology, palaeobotany, pollen analysis, aeropalynology, aerobiology, criminology, palyno-stratigraphic correlation of various lithological units and improvement of honey. The current project aims to build up pollen flora of lowland rainforest with my research students. We are supposed to strengthen our pollen library and further research on tropical pollen morphology and taxonomy to facilitate the development of the palynological application for understanding the Quaternary environment. This pollen flora project is supported by SEDRIC-project, financially.  

• Kantharodaya palynology project. A team, operated by the Department of Archaeology, Sri Lanka, excavated at Kantharodaya archaeological sites in Jaffna Peninsula, where palyno-stratigraphic analyses as subproject are being conducted with one of my master students. Financially, this subproject is supported by SEDRIC-project.

• Premathilake, R., Epitawatta, S. and Nilsson, S., Pollen morphology of some selected plant species from Horton Plains, Sri Lanka. Grana 38: 289-295.

• Premathilake, R. and Nilsson, S., Pollen morphology of endemic species of the Horton Plains national park, Sri Lanka. Grana 40: 256-279.

• Premathilake, R. and Epitawatta, S., Late Quaternary vegetation, climate and land-use history of the Horton Plains, Central Sri Lanka. Vidyodaya Journal of Science 10, 1-20.

• Premathilake, R. and Risberg, J., Late Quaternary climate history of the Horton Plains, central Sri Lanka. Quaternary Science Reviews 22, 1525-1541.

• Premathilake, R. and Epitawatta, D. S., Environmental History of the Horton Plains. Vidyodaya Journal of Humanities 1, 1-34

• Premathilake, R., 2005. Human responses to late Quaternary climatic changes in central Sri Lanka. Journal of National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 33, 3, 157-159.

• Premathilake, R., Relationship to environmental changes in central Sri Lanka to possible prehistoric land use and climate change. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology, 24-. 468-496.

• Premathilake, R. 2006. Holocene pollen records of climate and human impact on vegetation in the Horton Plains, central Sri Lanka. Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in History and Archaeology, 203-238.

• Premathilake, R. 2008. The emergence of early agriculture in the Horton Plains, central Sri Lanka: linked to late Pleistocene and early Holocene climatic changes. Pragdhara 16, 91-104.

• Hunt, C.H and Premathilake, R. 2011. Early Holocene vegetation, human activity and climate from Sarawk, Malaysian Berneo. Quaternary International, 1-15.

• Premathilake, R. Human used montane ecosystem in the Horton Plains, central Sri lanka- a link to glacial and early Holocene climate and environmental changes. Quaternary Science Reviews 50, 23-42.

• Premathilake, R. and Gunathilake, A., 2013. Chronological framework of Asian southwest monsoon events and variations over the past 24,000 years in Sri Lanka and regional correlations. Journal of National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka 41, 3 219-228.

• Premathilake, R, and Seneviratna, 2015. Cultural implication based on pollen from the ancient mortuary complex in Sri Lanka. Journal of Archaeological Science, Journal of Archaeological Science 53, 559-569.

• Premathilake, R., 2015. Investigating the precursors and appearance of banana and rice cultivation in Sri Lanka: with the background of long-term climate and environmental changes. Journal of Environmental Archaeology. AEA, News Letter 128, 1-12.

• Premathilake, R. Pappu, S., Krishnamurthy, A., Akhilesh, K., Prasad, S., Gunnell, Y., and Orukaimani, G., 2016. Phytoliths in Reconstructing Pleistocene Vegetation at the Paleolithic site of Attirampakkam, India. Quaternary Perspectives (QP), 2014, 2015).

• Premathilake, R. Pappu, S., Krishnamurthy, A., Akhilesh, K., Prasad, S., Gunnell, Y., and Orukaimani, G., 2016. Phytoliths in Reconstructing Pleistocene Vegetation at the Paleolithic site of Attirampakkam, India. Quaternary Perspectives (QP), 2014, 2015).

• Premathilake, R., Late Pleistocene human used Musa banana: phytoliths evidence from FaHien rockshelter in Sri Lanka (research article). Journal of Environmental Archaeology. AEA, News Letter 133, 1-09.

• Premathilake, R., Anupama, K., Rajan, K., Prasad, S., Orukaimani, G., Yathees Kumar, V.P., 2017. Implications of phytolith records from an Early Historic megalithic burial site at Porunthal in Southern India. Journal of Archaeological Science-Report, 11, 491-506.

• Premathilake, R., Akhilesh, K., Anupama, K., Pappu, S., Prasad, S., Gunnell, Y., Orukaimani, G., 2017. Pleistocene Vegetation at the site of Attirampakkam, India: INQUA-HaBCOM project: Palaeoanthropological Perspectives on Past Vegetation Using Phytoliths at Prehistoric Sites in South India and Sri Lanka (IFG/Project/Skill grant number: 1406). Quaternary Perspectives (QP), 1-15.

• Premathilake, Akhilesh, K., Anupama, A, Pappu, S. Prasad, S., Gunnell, Y., Orukaimani, O., 2017. Phytoliths as indicators of Quaternary vegetation at the Paleolithic site of Attirampakkam, India Journal of Archaeological Science-Report 14, 470-499.

• Premathilake, , Hunt. C., Perera, N., Wedage, O., 2017. Late Pleistocene Humans used Rice in Sri Lanka: Phytolith Investigation of the Deposits at Fahien Rock Shelter. Global Journal of Human Science D: History, Archaeology and Anthropology 17,2, 1: 1-13.

• Premathilake, R., 2017. Contributed Chapter 8 for Archaeological investigations in the Niah Caves, Sarawak (Vol II). Edited by Graeme Barker and Lucy Farr. Sarawak Museum published by McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK. United Kingdom: Oxbow Books, 10 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW, UK. Tel: (0)(1865) 241249; Fax: (0)(1865) 794449; www.oxbowbooks.com USA: Casemate Academic, P.O. Box 511, Oakville, CT 06779, USA.

• Premathilake, R., Chapter 8: Palynology, Phytoliths, Diatoms and Wood in the West Mouth: Stratigraphic and Taphonomic Studies of Late Quaternary Vegetation History. Chris Hunt, Lisa Kealhofer, Rathnasiri Premathilake, Garry Rushworth, David Gilbertson, Samantha Jones and Gill Thompson.

• Premathilake, R., 2017. Chapter 8: Supplementary Materials The Pollen, Palynofacies and Phytolith Assemblages from the West Mouth. Chris Hunt, Lisa Kealhofer, Rathnasiri Premathilake, Garry Rushworth, David Gilbertson, Samantha Jones and Gill Thompson. This one of the largest research projects run by number of expertise from top ten European Universities.

• Premathilake, R and Hunt. C., Sri Lankan’s earliest bananas?. Global Journal of Archaeology and Anthropology, Junifer Publication, United KingdomK, 1-15.

• Premathilake, R. and Hunt. C., 2018. Earliest Musa banana from the late Quaternary sequence at Fahien Rock Shelter in Sri Lanka. Journal of Quaternary Science.  0267-8179. DOI: 10.1002/jqs.3041.

• Premathilake, and Hunt. C., 2018. Late Pleistocene humans used plant resources: a phytolith record from Fahien Rock shelter in Sri Lanka. PALAEO_2017_848. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 505, 1–17.  

• Premathilake Akhilesh, K., Anupama, A, Prasad, S., Gunnell, Y., Orukaimani, O., Pappu, S. 2022. Issues of phytolith taphonomy at Palaeolithic sites: Investigation and results from Attirampakkam, India. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 42 (2022) 103357.

• Premathilake, and Hunt. C., 2022. Phytolith evidence from domesticated rice at Fahien Rock shelter in Sri Lanka during the middle-late Holocene. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. (under review).