Jetawanarama at Polonnaruwa 1896

Henry William Cave captured this photographic print of Jetawanarama at Polonnaruwa at the turn of the 20th century. This image invites us to consider the intertwined histories of colonialism, photography, and archaeology. Cave was part of a wave of European photographers documenting colonial Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Photography, still a relatively new technology, became a tool for cataloging and understanding the colonized world through a Western lens. The image presents the ancient Jetawanarama Dagoba, a massive Buddhist monument, in a state of ruin. This ruinous state would have reinforced a narrative of a glorious past now decayed, implicitly contrasting it with the perceived progress and order brought by British rule. To truly understand this image, we need to delve into the archives, exploring travelogues, colonial records, and the history of archaeological expeditions in Sri Lanka. By doing so, we can unpack the complex social and institutional forces that shaped not only the creation of this photograph but also its interpretation and circulation.