The Department of Archaeology Map and Drone Flights

Sri Lanka's archaeological heritage is dense and legally protected, from the ancient cities of the Cultural Triangle to colonial fortifications on the coast. CAASL's drone approval guidance explicitly requires a no-objection from the Department of Archaeology for operations over archaeologically important sites. The department's official map is the practical tool for discovering whether a planned flight touches such a site, including sites that are not obvious tourist landmarks.

Open the official ArcGIS viewer and search or navigate to your operating area. Identify archaeological locations at and around the site, remembering that a flight path or camera view can involve a protected site even when take-off happens outside it. Where a protected site is involved, contact the Department of Archaeology for a no-objection letter well before the flight, and run the standard MOD and CAASL process in parallel.

The archaeology map covers heritage locations; it says nothing about aviation zones, military areas or wildlife reserves. It is one layer of a complete check, alongside the CAASL Drone Zone Map and the approval process. Site management may also impose practical rules on the ground, so respect signage and staff instructions at heritage locations regardless of what any map shows.