 Paranavitana received his Ph.D. degree in 1936 from the University of Leiden and was appointed Archaeological Commissioner on 1 October 1940 in which capacity he served diligently till December, 1956.The next year, in 1957, he was appointed Professor of Archeology at the Peradeniya campus of the University of Ceylon.He was made a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the 1952 New Year Honours for his services as Archeological Commissioner.