For more than 3 decades, Professor Seneviratne has explored Sri Lankan and Indian archaeological sites and from this exploration developed research methodologies in interpretative and theoretical archaeology. He received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Bibliographic Institute for his contributions in archaeology and history in 2002 and was also inducted as a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences in Sri Lanka that same year.
Professor Seneviratne’s deep interest in the use of archaeology in building national and ethnic identities led to the development of many innovative programs in conflict resolution and peace studies.
Professor Seneviratne received his Ph.D. in Ancient History and Archaeology at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, where he studied under Romila Thapar. He is currently the archaeological director of the UNESCO programs at Anuradhapura, the major World Heritage site in Sri Lanka.