2,000-Year-Old Gold Rings Unearthed in Western Thailand

On July 7, 2026, officials announced the discovery of two gold rings, around 2,000 years old, at a new archaeological site in western Thailand. These rings were uncovered alongside human bones at the Don Yai Thong site in Phetchaburi province during an ongoing excavation.

According to the Fine Arts Department of the Thai government, one of the rings found on Thursday features an engraving in Bhrami script, an ancient Indian writing system. Experts have translated this script to read ‘pusarakhitasa,’ interpreted as ‘the one protected by Pushya,’ referring to a zodiac sign considered highly favorable in Indian astrology. The second ring, discovered with the same skeletal remains, is a plain gold band.

The rings’ ownership is speculated to belong to a merchant from the Indian Vaishyas caste, as per expert analysis.

The site is located about 80 miles southwest of Bangkok and was initially uncovered earlier this year when local residents stumbled upon fragments of ancient bronze drums in a nearby rice field. This led to a more extensive excavation of the site, which has been dated to Thailand’s late prehistoric or Iron Age period, approximately 1,500 to 2,500 years ago.

The Fine Arts Department has shared an eight-minute video on social media, depicting archaeologists examining the site’s artifacts and human remains. Since February, the excavation has yielded eight human skeletons, along with bronze and gold jewelry, pottery, and other artifacts, suggesting ceremonial burials for affluent or high-status individuals.

Local media also reported a significant find: one skeleton, believed to be a young child, was discovered with a bronze object placed on its torso. Charcoal samples obtained from the site have been sent to the United States for precise scientific dating.

The excavation is projected to conclude next month, with plans in place to publicly display the findings.