Imaging the role of women in changing socio-cultural contexts : a study of female representations in murals in pre-modern Sri Lanka
The historical roles of women have been neglected in Sri Lankan archaeology. This study unveils the image of women and offers alternative explanations that contextualize the female in pre-modern history. The thesis is the first of its kind undertaken in Sri Lanka as a cross-regional study, with a view to understanding female representations depicted in murals and their social context in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The murals that embellished the Buddhist temples of pre-modern Sri Lanka were examined as primary sources for a comparative study. Primary data were collected through observational fieldwork and museum surveys. The mural paintings have generally been taken as decorative in the past, but this research considers their value for deciphering coded forms of communication and a visual language which reflects contemporary social dynamics. Geographically, the research focuses on two geographical areas, up-and low-country. Iconographic analysis and social archaeology of gender are applied as the main theoretical approaches to examine the social space occupied by women through three different streams: their religious life, empowerment and social identity. The thesis argues that in the mural paintings
Karunarathna, Dulma Niroshini
Imaging the role of women in changing socio-cultural contexts : a study of female representations in murals in pre-modern Sri Lanka. The historical roles of women have been neglected in Sri Lankan archaeology. This study unveils the image of women and offers alternative explanations that contextualize the female in pre-modern history. The thesis is the first of its kind undertaken in Sri Lanka as a cross-regional study, with a view to understanding female representations depicted in murals and their social context in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The murals that embellished the Buddhist temples of pre-modern Sri Lanka were examined as primary sources for a comparative study. Primary data were collected through observational fieldwork and museum surveys. The mural paintings have generally been taken as decorative in the past, but this research considers their value for deciphering coded forms of communication and a visual language which reflects contemporary social dynamics. Geographically, the research focuses on two geographical areas, up-and low-country. Iconographic analysis and social archaeology of gender are applied as the main theoretical approaches to examine the social space occupied by women through three different streams: their religious life, empowerment and social identity. The thesis argues that in the mural paintings
role_woman change socio_cultural context study female representation mural pre_modern sri_lanka historical role_woman neglect sri_lankan archaeology study image woman offer_alternative explanation contextualize female pre_modern history first kind undertaken sri_lanka cross regional_study view female representation depict mural social_context mural embellish buddhist temple pre_modern sri_lanka examine primary_source comparative_study primary_data collect observational fieldwork museum survey mural painting generally take decorative past considers value decipher cod form communication visual language reflect_contemporary social_dynamic geographically focus_two geographical_area and low country iconographic_analysis social archaeology gender apply main_theoretical approach examine social_space occupy woman three_different stream religious_life empowerment social_identity argues mural painting