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The ancient Sinhalese were skilled engineers. This can be seen in the works that have come down to us, such as the stupa and the irrigation system. Contemporary engineers have saluted this achievement. The logo of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL) has as its most prominent feature, a dagoba. Other items in the logo include a sluice gate and a reservoir. This logo was reproduced on a stamp in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the IESL. The IESL has also included studies on ancient engineering skills in its multi-volume publication ‘History of Engineering in Sri Lanka.’ (2006) C.R. Panabokke stated at a recent talk before the Royal Asiatic Society, that irrigation in ancient Sri Lanka was an indigenous development. The techniques were not introduced from India. The dry zone was not flat, though it appears so. It is undulating, which meant that it contained valleys and had a lot of drainage. The irrigation schemes of the north central province were set in these valleys. Ancient irrigation started first with channels, then ponds using first and second order streams then came the creation of small tanks and thereafter the large irrigation schemes. . The techniques used in the ancient irrigation projects have evoked admiration. They were considered to be ‘without parallel elsewhere in the world, when it came to sophistication’. Parker said of Pavatkulam, whose original name is not known, that ‘it is astonishing to find this early work adhering to the best type of later designs. There was a single inlet culvert and two outlets. The designer had enlarged the sectional areas of the inlet and outlet culvert from their entrance to their outlets. Without such enlargement the resulting increased pressure would tend to force the water through the joints of the masonry to the back. This would remove the soil in suspension and eventually lead to failure of the reservoir. The embankment had a total height of 24 ft in the deeper part of the reservoir. The four