Harry Charles Purvis Bell

Who was Harry Charles Purvis Bell?

Harry Charles Purvis Bell, more often known as HCP Bell, was a British civil servant and a commissioner in the Ceylon Civil Service. He was born in British India.

Appointed an official archaeologist, he carried out many excavations in Ceylon, for the Archaeological Survey, during an appointment running from 1890 to 1912.

After retirement, he also investigated the archaeology and epigraphy of the Maldives, where he had been earlier in his life. and studied the linguistics of Divehi. Bell had developed a good friendship with the king of the Maldives, who put his own royal schooner Fath-ul-Majid at his disposition to carry out archaeological research in certain atolls south of Male.