What Began as a Simple Drainage Dig Turned Into the Discovery of a 1,300-Year-Old Gold Hoard
In a surprising archaeological find, work crews in Thailand uncovered a set of 33 ancient gold, silver, and bronze ornaments beneath a revered reclining Buddha statue. The discovery, at the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex, provides evidence of the artistic skill of the Dvaravati period.
What they found beneath the sandstone Buddha
The find occurred during routine digging for a drainage system. Workers struck a ceramic container more than 1.22 metres beneath the temple’s 13.11-metre-long sandstone Buddha statue, which dates to roughly 1,300 years ago, about 657 CE. Inside was a trove of 33 intricate ornaments in gold, silver and bronze: items such as delicate gold rings, fine silver earrings and distinctively styled bronze hoop earrings, all typical of Dvaravati-era objects.
Further excavation around the statue produced three more separate discoveries. These included finely worked repoussé metal sheets and stacks of metal sheets layered with clay and cement. Notable pieces were a rectangular gold sheet (about 7.6 cm by 12.7 cm) showing a seated Buddha in a teaching pose, complete with spiral curls, a large halo and elongated earlobes, and a lead, tin alloy sheet (11.4 cm by 15.2 cm) depicting a standing Buddha framed by an arch with two attendants (damage has made one attendant hard to distinguish).
Art, craft and ritual offerings
The finds indicate a high level of artistry in the Dvaravati period. The repoussé technique (hammered metalwork) allowed artisans to create detailed, nearly three-dimensional designs. Some pieces, including a gold sheet with a small hole in one corner, may once have been worn or hung as jewellery or decoration during rituals; the hole would have allowed them to be suspended.
The stacked sheets, though damaged, are thought to have been ritual offerings placed behind the reclining Buddha’s head; their position suggests a religious or ceremonial purpose.
Saving and showing the finds
The Phimai National Museum, working with Thailand’s Fine Arts Department, is leading efforts to preserve and catalogue the artefacts so they can be studied and conserved for the future. The museum now has responsibility for the pieces while further archaeological work continues at the Phra Non site, where the reclining Buddha is regarded as one of Thailand’s oldest and longest sculptures.
The discoveries relate to Thailand’s cultural heritage and indicate a long tradition of skilled craftsmanship and artistic expression. Further study may provide new insights into the spiritual and cultural practices of the Dvaravati period as archaeologists continue exploring what lies beneath Thailand’s ancient soil.