Reconsidering the Vaddas of Sri Lanka: Biological and cultural continuity, and misconceptions

Abstract

This paper aims to re-examine key scholarly works pertaining to the Sri Lankan Vadda, an indigenous community of the island, in order to explore extant research of the said community. Despite considerable progress, lingering misunderstandings and uncertainties persist regarding their origins, connections to prehistoric populations, affiliations with contemporary ethnic groups, and the interrelationships among different Vadda communities across the island. Furthermore, uncertainties persist regarding the authenticity of Vadda skeletal remains and the adequacy of archaeological samples, which often suffer from fragmentation and incompleteness. It is this archaeological sample that has been used to draw conclusions about the cultural and biological continuity of the Mesolithic population or the Balangoda man (Homo sapiens balangodensis) with the Vaddas and the modern populations of the island, thus perhaps distorting interpretations. Similarly, this study underscores concerns regarding the representation of modern samples collected from diverse Vadda clans inhabiting various ecological zones and engaging in different subsistence practices, potentially skewing the conclusions of preceding research. In this study, fresh ethnoarchaeological data are used to examine some misconceptions prevailing about the Warugas (clans) as well as the use of the term Wanniyalaetto as a synonym for Vaddas. Given the rapid acculturation of Vaddas, there is a pressing need for continued interdisciplinary investigations into the Vadda communities, encompassing different Warugas and geographic regions, to ensure a better understanding of their socio-cultural dynamics with the aim of enhanced insight into their evolutionary pathways.