Thailand’s Fine Arts Department has safely lifted the final two sets of ancient human remains from the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi, bringing the total number of skeletons recovered in the excavation to seven.
The operation took place on 21 August at Ban Don Phlap in Ban Lat district, where archaeologists from the Fine Arts Department’s Regional Office 1 in Ratchaburi worked with conservation specialists to remove the remains from the excavation pit.
The skeletons are estimated to be 1,500 to 2,000 years old, dating to Thailand’s late prehistoric period.
The Don Yai Thong site came to the attention of archaeologists earlier this year after bronze drum fragments were discovered in a rice field, prompting a systematic excavation that began in February. Researchers subsequently uncovered human burials along with bronze drums and vessels, pottery, glass and stone beads, gold jewelry and other funerary objects.
The discoveries suggest the site was an important burial area for a prehistoric community, offering clues about its burial practices, beliefs and social structure. Archaeologists have also found unusual bronze objects placed around the heads of some skeletons, as well as gold ornaments, including a ring bearing an ancient Brahmi inscription linked to an Indian writing tradition.
On 21 August, the final seven skeletons being recovered in this stage were divided into two sets: skeletons No. 5-8 and No. 9-11. Each set was placed on a reinforced platform measuring about 1 metre wide and 2.5 metres long, weighing between 1.2 and 1.5 tonnes.
A 10-ton crane was used to lift the platforms from the excavation pit. Both sets were successfully removed without damage.
Before the lifting operation, conservation specialists carefully excavated around the remains and reinforced the surrounding soil. Acid-free mulberry paper was placed over the skeletons and periodically sprayed with distilled water before being covered with aluminium foil. Polyurethane foam was then used to stabilise and protect the remains and surrounding soil during the lifting process.
The skeletons are scheduled to be transported to the Conservation Science Centre in Pathum Thani on 22 August for conservation and further study.
The excavation has become one of Thailand’s notable recent archaeological discoveries, with researchers continuing to study what the remains and associated artefacts can reveal about life, trade, ritual and social organisation in prehistoric Phetchaburi.
