A routine infrastructure project has led to one of Thailand’s most significant archaeological discoveries in recent years, offering groundbreaking insight into the early religious life of the country’s northeastern region.
Beneath the revered grounds of Wat Dhammachak Semaram—home to one of Thailand’s oldest reclining Buddha statues—archaeologists have uncovered a cache of ancient religious artifacts that suggest the site was a spiritual center far earlier than previously believed.
The discovery came during the installation of an underground drainage system at the monastery, located about 200 kilometers northeast of Bangkok. Wat Dhammachak Semaram is already a major pilgrimage site, famed for its 12-meter sandstone Buddha figure thought to date back over 1,300 years.
But it was what lay beneath the surface that astonished experts.
“At a depth of just over a meter, our team uncovered an earthenware container holding 33 bronze, silver, and gold items,” said Phnombootra Chadrajoti, director of Thailand’s Fine Arts Department. “These finds are extraordinary. They offer significant insights into the craftsmanship and religious devotion of the period.”
A Discovery in Two Acts
The unearthing unfolded in two distinct phases. The first was accidental: construction workers digging near the monastery stumbled upon a collection of ornaments, including intricately worked gold rings, silver earrings, and bronze trinkets. Notably, a spiral-shaped silver earring bore a striking resemblance to artifacts discovered at early Buddhist sites in southern Thailand.
This initial find sparked a full-scale archaeological investigation, culminating in the recovery of even more remarkable relics. Among these were two repoussé plaques—thin metal sheets embossed with religious imagery. The first, a gold panel measuring 7.5 by 12.5 centimeters, depicts a seated Buddha in flowing robes performing the vitarka mudra, a symbolic gesture of teaching. A small hole at its edge suggests it may have served as a ritual hanging ornament.
The second plaque, made of tin, shows a standing Buddha under an arched canopy, flanked by two figures—one likely representing the Hindu god Brahma. The stylistic features of both artifacts closely align with the Dvaravati period (6th–11th centuries), a time when Buddhist art and culture flourished across central Thailand.
Near the head of the reclining Buddha, archaeologists found a thin layer of soil embedded with metal sheets and plaster—believed to be a ceremonial deposit left by ancient worshippers. Its fragile condition has slowed examination, but its significance is already clear.
Rewriting Religious History
“These finds are helping us reconstruct the religious and cultural landscape of this region during the Dvaravati period,” said a Fine Arts Department spokesperson. “Until now, most early Thai Buddhist activity was thought to center around places like Wat Phra Prathon Chedi in Nakhon Pathom. But this suggests Nakhon Ratchasima was equally important.”
The relics have been transferred to Phimai National Museum in Nai Mueang for conservation and cataloging. There, researchers are analyzing the artifacts to understand their chronological placement and religious significance, especially in relation to the wider spread of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism across Southeast Asia.
Thailand, where nearly 95% of the population practices Theravada Buddhism, has long embraced its spiritual heritage. Still, each new archaeological breakthrough deepens the understanding of how the faith evolved and spread through different regions and communities.
For now, Wat Dhammachak Semaram stands not only as a place of pilgrimage but also as a newly illuminated beacon of Thailand’s ancient Buddhist past.
