• BA         Archaeology        1997    University of Sri Jayawardhanapura
• MPhil     Archaeology         2006    PGIAR, University of Kelaniya

Proto-historic archaeology, emergence of social ranking, mortuary archaeology, anthropological archaeology, archaeological theory, material culture, ancient pottery, field archaeology and history of archaeology

• 2006-present    Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya

• 2021-present    Course Coordinator, MSc and MA in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology

• 2011 – present Principle Researcher, Yan Oya Middle Basin Mortuary Archaeological Research Project (YOMB) 2011-2025

• 2018-2020        Course Coordinator, Postgraduate Diploma in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology

• 2012-2019        Course Coordinator, Certificate Course in Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology

Post-graduate

• 2004 Postgraduate Research Studentship: NSF/RSP/PGIAR/01, National Science Foundation

Graduate

• 1993 A.W. Kaluarachchi Commemoration Award, University of Sri Jayewardanepura

• 1994  Ven. Baddegama Wimalawansa Commemoration Award, University of Sri Jayewardanepura

• 1996 R.M. Dingirimenike Commemoration Award and Gold Medal, University of Sri Jayewardanepura

Current Projects

Principal Researcher

• 2011-2025  Principal Researcher, Yan Oya Middle Basin Research Project: multidisciplinary research project focused on tracing the emergence of social ranking and social inequality.  The overall objective of this research project is to study the social ranking reflected in the archaeological remains of the so-called proto-historic period of Sri Lanka, which is dated to 1^st millennium BCE. It is surmised that the people who were responsible for the archaeological remains from the proto-historic period could very well be the first farmers.  In this study, focus is on the mortuary remains belonging in the proto-historic period and specifically on the megalithic burials of this period and their positioning in the archaeological landscape of the Yan Oya river basin of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka., hold workshops and conferences, and build an enduring mortuary archaeological research environment. One fully-funded PhD studentship and partially funded PhD studentship are attached to the project.

• 2015  Principle Researcher, Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Burial Excavation Project, Conducted by Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Education.

• 2014  Principle Researcher, Polpitigama Megalithic Burial Excavation Project, Conducted by Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
• 2005 - 2007      Principal Researcher  Pottery Registration and Documentation Project, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology in 2005 –2007, aimed at 1) recording unearthed pottery from Sri Lanka; 2) preparing a database and publishing a catalogue on pottery.

Co-Director

• 2009-2010  Co-Director (with Prof. Gamini Adikri and Dr. Arjuna Tantilage, and Dr. (Mrs) P. Vidanapatirana.  Involved in exploration, Msc student training, excavation, material analysis work and report writing, and overall management of earthen canoe burial rescue excavation project at Nikavalamulla of Ruwanvella, aimed at 1) conducting Msc field school; 2) rescuing earthen canoe burials. 
• 2011 Co-Director (with Prof. Gamini Adikri and Dr. Arjuna Tantilage) Involved in Survey of Yapahuva Historical Site. Client: Wayamba Cultural Quadrangle, Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka.

Co-Ceramic Analyst

• 2003 Co-Ceramic Analyst (with C.L. van der Pijl-Ketel, Rijks Museum Amsterdam, The Netherland) Avondstar Project, University of Amsterdam of  The  Netherlands – Maritime Archaeology Unit of Central Cultural Fund, Sri Lanka  joint venture at Galle.

Other/Past Projects

Archaeological Explorations;

• 1999  Research Assistant, Regional Settlement Survey at Tissamaharama, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2001 Research Assistant, Archaeological Coring Project at Ramba  Vihara Project, CCF in 2001

• 2002  GIS Assistant, UNESCO – PGIAR Topographic Information on World Heritage Sites in Sri Lanka Project in 2002

• Research Assistant, Sites & Monuments Registration Project in Hambantota and Monaragala districts, Department of Archaeology – PGIAR joint project in 2000/2001 and 2006/2007

• 2006 Research Assistant, Galpaya Settlement Survey project, conducted by Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology in 2006

Archaeological Excavations;

• 2000  Assistant. Excavator, Dutch Fort at Katuwana, Katuwana  Archaeological Heritage Project of Amsterdam Archaeological Centre, University of Amsterdam of The Netherlands – PGIAR in 2000 

• 2000  Research Assistant, Ancient Port site at Kirinda, Tissamaharama in 2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2000 Research Assistant, Megalithic cemetery site at Tambarava, Tissamaharama in 2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2000  Research Assistant, Settlement site at Kirindagodana, Tissamaharama in  2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2000 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Ellegala, Tissamaharama in 2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2000 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Polbindivala, Tissamaharama in 2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2000 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Tambarava, Tissamaharama in 2000, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2001 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Andalla, Tissamaharama in 2001, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2001 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Valagampattuva, Tissamaharama in  2001, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2001 Research Assistant, Settlement site at Konvelana, Tissamaharama in 2001, PGIAR, SAREC- ECHR Funded Project, Archaeology of Southern Sri Lanka Program in 1999, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology and University of Uppsala, Sweeden collaboration project.

• 2007  Research Assistant, Ranchamadama Clay Cist Burial Excavation project conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology.

• 2008  Research Assistant, Galpaya Excavation project, conducted by the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology.

Development of New courses

• 2021 Introduced and coordinated Mortuary Archaeology (MSAR62084) course unit for MSc in Archaeology program

• 2021 Initiated and coordinate 3 course units; Research Colloquium and Research Writing (MAR61015), Critical Approaches to Ancient Literary Sources (MAR62055), Ancient Civilization (MAR61025) for MA in Archaeology course (with Emeritus Prof. Jagath Weerasinghe and Mr. Prasanna Ranabahu)

• 2011 Initiated and coordinate Student Centred Teaching Activities for Postgraduate Diploma in archaeology course (with Prof. Jagath Weerasinghe)

Lecturing

• 2006-present    Senior Lecturer, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology.  Involved in the teaching of graduate (Diploma, MA and MSc) students.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to PGD in archaeology, Ways of Knowing and Narrating the Past course unit.

• Contribute as Co-Principal Lecturer to PGD in archaeology, Pre and Protohistoric Archaeology course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MSc in archaeology, Themes and Theories in Contemporary Archaeology course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MSc in archaeology, Mortuary Archaeology course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MA in archaeology coursework with research, Themes and Theories in Contemporary Archaeology, Heritage and Art history course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MA in archaeology coursework with research, Ancient Civilization course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MA in archaeology coursework with research, Research Colloquium and Research Writing course unit.

• Contribute as Principal Lecturer to MA in archaeology coursework with research, Critical Approaches to Ancient Literary Sources course unit.

• 2006-2009 Visiting Lecturer, University of Buddhasravaka Bhikku.  Involved in the teaching of undergraduate (BA) students in the Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies.
• 2010-2012  Visiting Lecturer, University of Visual and Performing Arts.  Involved in the teaching of undergraduate students in the Department of Ceramic Arts, Faculty of Visual Arts. 

Training

• 2010-2011 Attended staff development sessions and workshops on professional development, enhancing teaching competencies, lecturing and micro-teaching, enhancing research competencies, using the new information and communication technologies, being more effective in the administration and management roles and enhancing counselling competencies as part of Academic Staff Development Programme, University of Kelaniya.

• 2011-present    Committee Member for the Board of Studies, Department of Ceramics, Faculty of Visual Arts, University of Visual and Performing Arts.

• 2011-present    Committee Member, Research Panning Committee, Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology

• 2010  Member of the Committee 3^rd International Congress, Society of South Asian Archaeology (SOSAA) University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 20-21 August 

• 2015 Ancient pottery workshop to the CCF and Dept. of Archaeology staff members, conducted by the PGIAR , held at University of Rajarata in 2015.

• 2019 Workshop on  Pottery Classification in Archaeology organized by the Centre for Heritage Studies in University of Kelaniya "Hands on Heritage" workshop series – workshop No., 7. 2019.

Resource person

• Syllabus  The Committee of Proposed Revisions of Archaeology (internal and external) Syllabuses of Department of Comparative Studies of Buddhasravaka Bhikshu  University in 2007.

• Glossary Ceramic/pottery Glossary Preparation Committee of Department of Official Languages of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in 2007 – 2008

• Participated as an invited subject consultant for arranged ancient pottery technology gallery of Ancient Technology Museum, Polonnaruwa, Department of National Museum, 2019.

Fellow

• Sri Lankan Council of Archaeologists

Member

• Society of South Asian Archaeologists

• Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka

Committee Member

• Education sub-committee, Sri Lankan Council of Archaeologists, 2016/17

• Executive Board Member – Sri Lankan Council of Archaeologists, 2017/18

• Executive Board Member – Sri Lankan Council of Archaeologists, 2019/20

Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology

• Research Planning Committee (from 22 July, 2010)

International

• 2006 ’Rise of social complexity in southern Sri Lanka: an archaeological analysis’’  Seminar for the 1^st International Conference of South Asian Archaeology held in Department of History, University of Mumbai at India, 16-18 December.

• 2010  “Village abandonment behaviour among tank villagers: the effect of carrying capacity on a tank-village in the dry zone of Sri Lanka” Seminar for the 3^rd International Congress of South Asian archaeology held in University of Kelaniya, 20-21 August.

Local

• 2000  “Sampling strategies of Ancient Potsherds in a Regional Settlement Survey’’ National Archaeological Symposium held in SLIDA at Colombo, July

• 2003  “Order of Disorder: Archaeology of Scatterings” National Archaeological Symposium held in Sri Lankan Foundation Institute at Colombo, July    

• 2005  ‘’Occupational Variability: Identifying the consequences of abundance’’ National Archaeological Symposium held in Sri Lankan Foundation Institute at Colombo, July

Books

• 2018 Ranjith Bandara Dissanayake. Traversing Megalithic Funerary Landscapes The Yan Oya Middle Basin Archaeological Survey. Colombo: A PGIAR Publication.

• 2008 Nimal De Silva. & Ranjith Bandara Dissanayake. A Catalogue of Ancient Pottery from Sri Lanka. Colombo: A PGIAR Publication.

Journal Articles

• 2005 Dissanayake, R., “Pottery: archaeological applicability and usage” (In   Sinhalese). In Purathana. Ed., W.H.Wijepala & Anura Manathunge. Central Cultural Fund, Ministry of Cultural and National Heritages, Colombo 2005.

• 2007 Somadeva, R., R. Dissanayake, R. Fernando and S. Ranasinghe. "Galpaya Ancient Settlement Survey: The results of the First Field Season conducted in a newly discovered site in Rathnapura District of Sabaragamuva Province of Sri Lanka." Journal of Indian Ocean Archaeology. No.3, 2006. 1-14 pp.

• 2017  Dissanayake, R.B., Petroforms: Stone Circles, Boulder Rectangles, and Cairn Features discovered at  Yãn Oya Middle Basin. In The Journal of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Special issue on Pre and Proto Historic studies of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka University of Rajarata.

Book Chapters

• 2006 Dissanayake, R., Catalogue of Pottery (Appendix 5), In Urban Origin of Southern Sri Lanka. Raj Somadev. Sweden. Uppsala University.

• 2006  Somadeva, R., and R. Dissanayake 2006. “Reversible Time: a pit dwelling excavated at Valagampattuva in Tissamaharama, Hambantota district”. Professor Tissa Kariyavasam  ABHINANDIKA. Ed., M. Dissanayake, P. Abhayasundara and R. Arangala. Colombo

• 2007 Bandara, R., Catalogue of Artefacts. Avondster Project, University of Amsterdam of The Netherlands in 2007
• 2007  Dissanayake, R.B., International Relations. In Anurapura puranaya (in Sinhalese). Ministry of Religious Affaires, Colombo

Reports

• 2001 Van Dijk, R. M.Jayasena & Ranjith Bnadara ‘Artefacts’. In Katuwana Archaeological Heritage Project Excavation Report – 2000, Edited by Gamini Adhikari, M. Van Dijk, R. M. Jayasena and Raj Somadeva. Amsterdam Archaeological Centre,  Colombo 2001.

• 2008  Somadeva, R., R. Dissanayake and Fernando, R., The Galpaya Survey: results of the first field season carried out in The year 2006. In Occational paper No I. ed., Nimal de       Silva and Raj Somadeva. The Galpaya Survey  Report of the       first field season 2006, May 2008. Colombo. Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology.

Consultation

• 2013 –Present Consultant Archaeologist – Executive Head of the Past Preservers Archaeological Services (PPAS). Pannipitiya. Sri Lanka

• Archaeological Feasibility Study at proposed Anuradhapura City Flood Protection Project behalf of Ceywater Consultants (PVT) Ltd, 2020. This programme is implemented under the Climate Resilience Improvement Project (CRIP) funded by the World Bank. Ministry of Agriculture, Livestok Development, Irrigation and Fisheries & Aquatic Resources Development of Sri Lanka.

• Archaeological Impact Assessment Survey (AIA) at proposed Kumbukkan Oya Reservoir Project in Monaragala District, 2017

• Completed Archaeological Impact Assessment Survey (under EIA) at Proposed Colombo Port City Development Project (CPCDP) in Colombo District, 2017

• Completed Archaeological Impact Assessment Survey (AIA) at proposed Diversion of Mahaweli water to Upper Mi Oya and Hakwatuna Oya Basins in Kurunegal District (NWP Diversion Canal Project). 2013

• Completed Archaeological Impact Assessment Survey (AIA) at proposed Diversion of Moragahakanda resevior water to Manankattitawewa in North Central Province (Upper Elahera Canal Project). 2014