Epigraphia Zeylanica: Being Lithic and Other Inscriptions of Ceylon – Volume I, edited and translated by Don Martino De Zilva Wickremasinghe, is a seminal work in South Asian epigraphy, first published in 1912 and reissued in 1994. This comprehensive volume delves into the ancient inscriptions of Sri Lanka, capturing centuries-old lithic records that reveal the cultural, religious, and historical significance of the island.
 
The preface provides a fascinating account of early epigraphic studies in Ceylon, beginning with the English traveler Robert Knox’s 17th-century observations, and traces the history of archaeological research undertaken by notable scholars like Dr. P. Goldschmidt and Dr. E. Müller. Wickremasinghe, in collaboration with key figures such as R. Gunasekara Mudaliyar and under the patronage of H. C. P. Bell, Sri Lanka’s first Archaeological Commissioner, presents an in-depth analysis of inscriptions in Sinhalese and Tamil, reproduced with high fidelity using Dr. Bühler’s prescribed methods of estampages and photographs.
 
Complete with transliterated texts, translations, and lithograph plates, Epigraphia Zeylanica Volume I is essential for scholars of South Asian archaeology and philology, as well as for those intrigued by the detailed preservation of Ceylon's ancient history.