There is evidence of Paleolithic (Homo Erectus) people in Sri Lanka about 300,000 BP and possibly even as early as 500,000 BP. There is strong evidence of prehistoric settlements in Sri Lanka by about 125,000 BP.
Anthropologically modern human remains have been found which have been dated back to the subsequent culture of the second Stone Age period - which appears to have endured until about 1000 BCE in Sri Lanka with the transition to Iron working. This Mesolithic culture was known as the Balangoda Culture.
The height of adult Balangoda people is estimated at 174 cm for males and 166 cm for females. The bones are robust, with thick skull-bones, prominent brow-ridges, depressed noses, heavy jaws and short necks. The teeth are conspicuously large.
S. U. Deraniyagala, Former Director-General of Sri Lankan Archaeology, says that such geometric microliths have traditionally been considered the hallmark of the Mesolithic period as first defined in Europe. The earliest dates for the geometric microlithic tradition in Europe are around 12,000 BP. Hence it came as a surprise when such tools were found as early as 31,000 BP at Batadombalena and even at other sites such as the two coastal sites in Bundala and at Belilena.

Photo - A Philatelic Stamp - Batadomba Lena which is deemed to have been the habitat of prehistoric age man, is the place where the Human beings belonging to 30,000 years ago had lived. The front part of the skull of these people was discovered at an open type cemetery of the pre historic age, at the Bellanbendipelassa region. Several collections of Bones and skulls could be found during the excavations done at this cemetery. It has been thus confirmed that these Human remnants are 7, 000 years old.