The piece of silk cloth was excavated from an ancient Buddhist pagoda, Kotavehera Stupa at Daliwala in Rambukkana of Kegalle district.

Tests conducted by an Australian archeological expert has proven that the piece of cloth belonged to the second century, said the Archeological Commissioner General Dr. Senarath Dissanayake.

He pointed out that such ancient evidence had not been discovered even from India.

The discovery proves the use of silk in ancient Sri Lanka even though there were no reports of silk being manufactured in the country which indicates that Sri Lanka was part of the ancient "Silk Road".

Several other artifacts were also discovered from the excavation site, where excavation commenced in 2001.