264

,rorrRNAr,r

R.A.s. (cEyLoN)

[\'oL. xxxlY

\To,

91-1g38] .{nr}run

ui\uRrco HocARr

265

OBTTU^AR.Y NOTICE.
ART}IUR MAUR,ICE HOCAN,T

Bv the de:ith of Professor Artliur }{aurice T{ocart at Cairo on 9th March, 1939, studente of Ceylon llistory an-l Antiquil,ies rnourn the loss of orre rvho, as Archaeological Commissioner from 1921 to 1-t29, and as a member of tl:ris Societr,', has contributecl in no smali rneasure to the urtlcrstanc'ling and apprecirtion of the ancicnt cultrue of this Isinnd.
rvirs born in 1883. Receiving lris earl-r, education at Atl,ence, d'I-relles, I3russels, and lliiz:ibelh Oollege,

lle

Guernsey, he entercd Ereter Colleg-.:, Oxford, in 7902, andl ha,cl a brillirlnt academic cal'eer, gaining special clis-

tinction in tlrc ciirssics. 'l'lris n-:rs foilorl'etl bv a (,ourse at the lSerlin Universitv rvhere he sturlied Philosopliy antl Psvchologv and conductcd reseai:ch in the PsychologicLl Irrsti tute. T{e obtained his l{.A. ilegrce in 1912. lbcart was :r. mcmlter: of tl're lletrc:v Staden 'l'rust, Expeclition of 1908-9 to the Solonron Lslands. lcd by the famous ethnologisl;, Dr. W. H. R. Rivers. Froirn 1912 to 1914 he l'as Clradutrte lleserrch Scholar" of Exeter College and Jesus Co1lege, Oxforrl, and investigatecl rnce, crafts and customs inr the Pacifia Islanils. For some time in 1915 he deputisetl for I'rof. W. IIc Dougrrll, ()xfold, as Welde norrder in I{ental Philosophv. lrrorn 1915 to 1919 Hoct'rrt servecl ri.itir clistinction as a Captain l'ith IIis I'Iajest.v*'s Fo,rces in Itrtrnce, ancl was
tnerrtioned

in

despatches.

After the rvar, he rvas selectecl bv the Secretar-v of' State for the Colonies to fill the vacant post of Arch:reological Co,rnmissioner of Ceylon anil sent to'

JotLrn'al, o.f ,1ciencc, sectton, G, rvhich he found.ecl and six parts of rvliich he pubris)-rcrl u,ith cc,ntributions m:rinly from his o\r'ri pen. A neri- rlepar.1,rrr.,.r in TToeurt,s stuclv .. of the antiquities of Cel,lon rvas the attempt *ud" to ascertian iher propei. place n hich the, anr:ient culture of

embodied in tire .,Archaeoloeicrrl Sunrmar.ies,, of lhe Ceylon

of the chronological clevelopmeill, of architect'ral artistic strles in Cevlon and the result of his ,work ""U is

cut short by his acidental death, ancl nruch of the mrterial collected c'_rring. t\r,e'i.v fi\e ,,,eirrs of ,re clepartmeirl,.s existence irad been aUot-ecrl to qet ir.Lto srich a state as to. mako it of litlrlc rrsc for scjentific purposcs. So, in nranr, things ]Tcicar.t to start f.oni 11," ol.".u lr"*i;rr_g ;; l; ',.1 l,Jrere h.rcl been no archaeological ivorli rlone befo.re. 'JlJro'gh a grerLt deal of brr.n clore in RelL,s time 'r.or*'.cl in exploring and ex*rr,:rting, .o ser,ior.rs ;rrri su.qt:Lined at_ l,ernpt hacl been made for a svstr:rlatic studv of the material th's collectecl or to coDserr,e. f.r. tn" i"""iii of futr''e pencr.tirns. the arcl:rite,ictural a.cl rirlristic monu_ nents 1,hus brougiit to lighl. Jlocrrrt. tlrt_,retore, hacrl to concentrate his energies to t.mcdv thei.e tli:ficicncies rlnrl and start archaeologieal lesenrch in (,evlon on a rea1ly scientific basis. fn ihis li6 la,ns greaflv hanclicappetl by the faci; tlia1, he t' tr.orli alnrosi si'gle_'anrlerl; in 'it11 fa,ct. for the greater pa.rt of his periocl of office hc hrd no trainecl assistant to relv on. On tlie scientific sir1e, I{o.:art, r'rt,lei:took the st*dv

'retlrorrs rrrr.ptea br, Jrdi..' Archreologicrr surve' irL their '-re corscr'a1,ion. On assuming dr_rties as Archaeologic:rl Commissicncr in 1.921, .FIor:trt found rin rrplrii 1,:rslr irv,ritinq. hirr. ,l,lre arc}taeological u.ork of ilte islancl h:rd bcr:l in lher,:Lnce: {rom 1gl4 r,,-hen th e promrslng /-rareer of E. R. Arrrtorr rr,rrs

Oxford bv the Cevlon (iovernment to sturll Slnsl<rit, pali, !l'ilnril arrrl Sinltalose, utcl to fncUa to s1,udr tlte *lindrr anr,l Budcthist rLronrrnre,rts rrircr l'lre

266

JOURNAL.

R.A.s. (cEYLoN) LVOL. XXXIV'

No. 9l-1tr;)[tj ARrrrLrR lrAr]Rrcl rrocr\R.r,

2,i

this islanr] slLonlc[ ]r,ive in i,he'crtLtttre o{ i'he world ils ir whole. 'I'hus tlle stucly of Ccvioll archieologv ceased to be of mr:re iocal intcresl,. IIe .rlso paicl due attention to the liglrl, tlrrorvn b,v the rnotlern custorns of the people, both irr Oe1'lon trnd outsillc, on 1,he ulLder-qtrLnilitrg o ther prst' }l.is ethnological training scrl'erl hirr-r iri good steacl in ihis line of studres' }{ocirrt also introduced a neu' poiicv of publishing the results of the sturly o{ ir piirticul:u' subje:t', a monurnent, or l, group of mouments, in hancly forfir jn }femoris' rvithout,, ris previously, scattering the r:esults of scientifie u,orli jrr virrious Aclnrinistrrttion ll:por"ts rvhich l-recessnrily contiiin rttut:h matter of rnele ctplrenter'r1 jrrterest' Tlre first volurrre of the -\Iernoirs of tlrc '\rchacological Surve-v of Oevlon, thus irrstituteil, contaitrs A-r'lton's account of t'ho so-r:a,Lled r,Vcstern lfonasleries :rt r\nr-rrijtlhilpura, edjted bv lfoorrt rr,it,lr his o\\''n co]ll,riblltion. 'l\l'o "lore Voltlmes o{ }{enoris. one on Three Shr:ines at Polonnaruwa and' the other on the Temple of the Tooth at Kandv were published b1' hirrr. I{e nlso contribtiied several ardicles on Ccvlon to otiler: journirls, includir'g ir' plrper on Tan1,rim:rlai contribui;ecl to the pt'rges of this journal' tle [racle rrriiDgeruents for epierrrphiurrl rvork to be carried out in a more srrstnined mtlnnel thtLn berfore'

photograhps, befors rncl after conversatjon, of some of the principal rnonurnents lre put in proper orcler, fr:,r example the \\restern Lfona_qtcr.y f at Anuradh;rprrrrr, ,thc Hritatlnge at Polonntlrurvo noa the firclikntusiivrl at
14ihintaie.

l,Iuch

o1l

Tloctrrt's

time hrltl tc' Lre

rievotecl

to

the

conservation of ancient monuments u'hich were ulgently in neetl 0f attention. Tn this rvork. lre follorvetl tlle latest methods riclopted in trlurope ancl Tnc'lir aucl the prineiple he inVrrriab]v follolverl lvas tio cl]sllre thp preselvatio-l'' ns f:rr as is humanlv possible, of wh:rt is left of the rnonumcnts, rvithor.lt rnoclern rrlr.liticns, so thnt the;r may f aitlrfullr' reprcsent the arts ancl crirfts of ancient

Ifocart also c:lrrjecl out excitvations at 1,he ancient to*'n of l^rr:rtittha (rrroc're.n'rir'ririetisr.:rrr.rrn) bul he ditl no1 remain in oftjce lolg enough to cornplete the u'ork or Lo wlilo an account oi r.virrrt,,t.lls clone. IIe undertook nurneroL.rs expetiitions to lemote parts of the JsLlnd and collocted a considertrble iirnounl, of archrrco_ lrgi.r'11 rnrituri;'rr. r)rrring thc:se torrrs, i'sor'e of the w'riterr had the privilege of rrr:corlpirnling 'rdrich him, hc \\tas preparer,l to urrcler:go an.,i lllllghitr l_o accornplish the tasir that hacl bec'rrnclert:rlte'. In flct,:t \I,ils after returni'g fr.m iLrr urcluors e,xpr.r.i,ion c,ircuit i' ilre Bat,ticalo:L l)istr:icl, that he had an :rttrcli of clvsentery r'';'ich nece'ssitatea his going horne o' rca'e for reilsors of health. Shor{,lv :r{ter his return from this leave, }re htrd a relzrpse *.hich learlv proyccl fatll ancl, on p_recUcal acllice, retirerl in 1g2g just rrt a, linre rvhen, rviilr the experience g:rinecl drrrinq nire lertrs, he,,,r,as projecting viuioris iniport:rnt schemes for the ftrrtherance of iLrchaerJogicirl inte'ests in this islanr_1. :f.,s the w_orcls of l-ergusson, ryritten so firr btrck as 1876, that,,the in their courses hrr.e n.ilr.recl against :trchireologv stars in Oevlon" :rssumecl a prophetic significance.
sea-porl

d.avs. Horv successfullY :rnrl u ith rr.lt:rt care Tloctrrt the carTiecl out ihis $.ork can be r:ealiscrl 1)\. co'mparing

Retr.rrning to Englrrnd, Frocarf concentratecl on 'crht,ologicrit stutlres anil wn-q clulv recognis3.j b,.: academic,,li aritlrcrities as :r leaclirrg. ri.orkcr in tb:rt f ielcl. I{e wrls r"rppointed an lronortlrr- lecl.urer ir, .l!'rnology, a nre'rtrer of the Bo,ard of Strrdies in Arch:reology ancl Anl,hropclogv rn<l an llxaminer for the 1)eg.ree of l)octor of philosophv in the iondo' linir.ersit,r.. Tn lgB4 he *_irs appoiirt,::ril

li

'i

r t r

l 1 i i rl '

ir

ri

ii

;i

268

JoURNAL, R.A.s. (cEYLoN)

[Vor. XXXIV.

of Sociolog.r' irL the Urriversit'y od Cairo, rvhich Post he hei'l i'ill his death' In 11lll5, lre rv'ts a$'irriicd the cor.eieri liir,er's l\femo'rial l{edal b;' the Iloval Anthropologir:ai r'iociety for distirrguishctl tlo.-k iir tlie
]'rofessor
l-rel.l-

Ifocalt \1 ils a prolilic n'riter irncl contribntecl fretlrrentl-v tc \[ut,, I'hc Jcut'nctl of the Rorlal' An;thro' pologit:a,l Inst,ittLt,e anil other scientific journals. Ii' is no1, possil;lc rvil,irin the scolie of tlris rrotit:e to enumerate all ol these, or his publictltions on Fiji :rnr1 otl-rer Pacific lslanrls. ]'le,ni,ion malr, hon'ever, l-re rlacle of thc follolving general u,or1;s on ethnolosical slrbjects : I{inqslti';t (1927), TlLe Proqress of tr'[tut' (1-93i3) ancl Kinqs an'd Cot.ntcill.ot's (1936). A Frc'nch tr:'rnslabion rrl' The Pro' rlress cti r1,1nl trppeirtrctl in 1tlll4. Jn thesc rvotks, ire shon's
rntrc,h slrltpathctiC rrnclerrstiltc'lirrg of thc r.il'ious rllces $,ith rr'lronr lre carne in coni'act rnil hc arrives at his concLusions rviih a free trnd unbiassccl nrincl, riot ircing iecl astrav b1' prc-coirceptions. I{is strle of u'ritinq is trenchitnt and

\'ely

reaclable.

I-h'cn:rlter lealing Ccvlon, ire kept, up his interest in the archaeological sturlies relating to the Tsiand; ancl in all his later rror:ks he gives rlue irnportance to its culture. \Vith the rich fund of ir,{ornration collectecl in his vtrried career, hc rvas no cloulrt planing further important rvorks antf ]ris tleath at the cornparative early trgo of 55 is a ts-real loss to the cirttse o{ scientific
research"

S. PAII.A\.AYI'IANA.