Workers were repairing a temple drain in Thailand when they uncovered a 1,300-year-old gold treasure beneath a Buddha statue

A routine drainage project at a Thai temple has uncovered a hidden collection of ancient treasures buried beneath one of the country’s oldest reclining Buddha statues. Workers found 33 gold, silver, and bronze artifacts dating back around 1,300 years while digging near the monument.

The discovery happened at the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex, during conservation work around the Phra Non archaeological site. The sandstone reclining Buddha statue standing there is considered Thailand’s longest and oldest, measuring 43 feet long and believed to have been created around 657 A.D.

The excavation took an unexpected turn when workers digging more than four feet underground came across a ceramic container. Inside, they found ancient ornaments linked to the Dvaravati period, including gold rings, silver earrings, and unusual bronze hoop earrings.

TheFine Arts Department of Thailand said in a translated statement that the bronze earrings share similarities with other examples from the same historical period discovered across the country. After finding the first container, researchers continued searching around the statue and uncovered several more objects nearby.

A Secret Found Beneath An Ancient Statue

The first treasure find came from a simple drainage project. While working below the reclining Buddha statue, crews uncovered a ceramic container filled with dozens of small metal objects.

The collection included items made from different materials, showing the variety of craftsmanship during theDvaravati period. The bronze earrings were especially interesting to researchers because their design is similar to other artifacts connected to this era.

The discovery site itself added to the importance of the find. The objects were located beneath a major Buddhist monument that has stood for more than a thousand years, offering researchers new material to study the history and traditions connected to the ancient community that built it.

After the initial discovery, conservation teams expanded their work around the statue and found three additional groups of artifacts.

Gold Treasures Reveal The Past

Among the newly uncovered objects was a small rectangular gold sheet decorated with a detailed image of a seated Buddha statue. The piece measures about three inches by five inches and was created using the repoussé technique, which involves shaping metal to create raised designs.

The artwork shows the Buddha in a teaching pose, with spiral curls, a large halo, elongated earlobes, and a robe covering one shoulder. A small hole in the upper right corner suggests that the object may have been attached to a string and possibly worn or displayed as decoration.

Researchers also found another decorated metal sheet, this time made from a lead-tin alloy. The piece, measuring around 4.5 inches by 6 inches, shows a standing Buddha inside an arched frame with two attendants beside him.

One of the attendants was too damaged to identify, while the other may represent a Thai version of the Hindu god Brahma, Chantrachot noted.

Archaeologists Find Possible Ritual Offerings

The third major discovery was a group of stacked metal sheets placed inside packed clay with cement between the layers. Because the object was damaged, researchers could not determine the exact number of metal sheets or clearly identify all the images engraved on them.

The location of this artifact offered an important clue. It was found behind the reclining Buddha’s head, a position that researchers believe may have been chosen intentionally.

Chantrachot said specialists think the object could have been a ritual offering placed there because of its location, possibly as part of a religious practice connected to the monument.

The newly discovered artifacts are now being studied and preserved at the Phimai National Museum. Specialists are cataloging the objects and working to protect the fragile materials.