The
Dipavamsa or
Deepavamsa (i.e., "Chronicle of the Island"; in
Pali:
Dīpavaṃsa), is the oldest historical record of
Sri Lanka. It means Chronicle of the Island. The chronicle is believed to be compiled from
Atthakatha and other sources around the 3-4th century. Together with the
Mahavamsa, it is the source of many accounts of ancient history of Sri Lanka and India. Its importance resides not only as a source of history and legend, but also as an important early work in
Buddhist and Pali literature.