Rare discovery: 2,000-year-old Indian inscription found on gold ring in Thailand
Archaeologists have made a significant discovery in Thailand, revealing a pair of gold rings that are around 2,000 years old, one of them containing an inscription in ancient script. The artifacts were found alongside human remains at an archaeological site.
The discovery occurred last week at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site, located approximately 130 kilometers southwest of the capital Bangkok, in Phetchaburi province. Researchers suggest that the site served as a necropolis for individuals of high social status, and since February, a series of finds have enriched understanding of life and funerary rites during the region’s Iron Age, a period spanning between 2,500 and 1,500 years ago.
The local community played a crucial role in identifying the site in 2026, when fragments of bronze drums were discovered in a rice field. Excavations conducted this year have already brought to light more than half a dozen human skeletons at Don Yai Thong.
Each burial appears to have followed a specific ritual protocol, with individuals positioned towards the northeast and a bronze object resting on their heads. The presence of gold, bronze jewelry and ceramic pieces indicates that the deceased enjoyed a high social status in life.
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Among the most recent finds, gold rings stand out. One of them displays an engraving in the Brahmi script, an ancient system with roots in Aramaic, which gave rise to several modern alphabets used in South and Southeast Asia, including Thai and Khmer. The Brahmi script flourished in the 3rd century BC, being used to record historical events and communicated on rocks, pillars and caves during the reign of Ashoka. The importance of this discovery transcends the antiquity of the objects; it provides concrete evidence of cultural interactions and trade routes between India and Southeast Asia much earlier than previously imagined, reinforcing Thailand’s role as a point of cultural confluence in ancient times.
Unraveling the meaning of Brahmi writing and its orientation
Although predominantly written from left to right, the Brahmi script has some documented exceptions where the direction of writing occurred from right to left.
A preliminary analysis of the inscription engraved on the ring suggests the reading “pusarakhitasa”, which is interpreted as “the one protected by Pushya”. According to the Thai government’s Department of Fine Arts, Pushya is considered one of the most favorable signs within Indian or Vedic astrology, highlighting the symbolic value of the artifact.
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The second gold ring found had a smooth surface, without inscriptions. Initial hypotheses connect the ancient owners of the rings to the Vaishya social class, the third highest of the four traditional divisions of the Hindu caste system in India. The Vaishyas were generally traders, farmers and traders, playing a key role in the economy of the time.
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To further the studies, the researchers plan to carry out detailed 3D scans of the archaeological site and send charcoal samples to the United States, where they will be subjected to scientific dating.
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