The Don Yai Thong exhibition opens at Khao Wang in Phetchaburi on Monday, August 24, giving the public its first opportunity in Thailand to see a selection of important artefacts recovered from the archaeological site.
The special exhibition, “Don Yai Thong: The Beginnings of Phetchaburi Civilisation”, is being held at Santhakhan Sathan Royal Residence at Phra Nakhon Khiri National Museum from August 24-28.
Organised by the 1st Regional Office of Fine Arts, Ratchaburi, under the Fine Arts Department and Ministry of Culture, the exhibition will be open from 9am to 3.30pm.
Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth will preside over the official opening ceremony at 10am on Monday. The exhibition will open to the general public from 1pm that day.
Rare finds from Don Yai Thong excavation
The Don Yai Thong exhibition includes gold jewellery, glass and stone beads, bronze drums, pottery and bronze vessels recovered during excavations at the site in Ban Don Phlap, Ban Lat district.
The archaeological site came to wider attention after a bronze drum believed to be around 1,500 to 2,000 years old was discovered in a farmer’s field on February 9.
A subsequent Fine Arts Department excavation of a four-by-six-metre pit uncovered fragments from six bronze drums, ancient human remains, the skeleton of a child and numerous pieces of jewellery.
Among the most significant finds was a skeleton buried with gold bracelets, rings and earrings. Archaeologists believe the individual may have been a high-ranking member of the community, while some of the jewellery may have originated in India, suggesting links with long-distance trading networks.
Researchers also found bronze plates covering the faces of the skeletons, a burial practice rarely recorded in Thailand. Evidence indicated that some bodies had been bound, with their heads positioned towards the north-east.
Officials said the discoveries provide further insight into burial practices, social hierarchy and beliefs in the area during the late prehistoric period.
The exhibition will also include demonstrations of archaeological conservation techniques by specialists from the Office of National Museums.
