They Dug Under the Country's Largest Buddha Statue and Found a 1,300-Year-Old Treasure, With Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pieces Inside a Valuable Ceramic Container

They Dug Under the Country’s Largest Buddha Statue and Found a 1,300-Year-Old Treasure, With Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pieces Inside a Valuable Ceramic Container

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 17/05/2025 at 18:55

Crédito: Departamento de Belas Artes da Tailândia

Be the first to react!

Treasures Found Beneath Thailand’s Largest Reclining Buddha Statue Reveal Precious Artifacts Over 1,300 Years Old

During an excavation in Thailand, archaeologists made a surprising discovery. Hidden beneath the country’s oldest reclining Buddha statue, artifacts of gold, silver, and bronze dating back approximately 1,300 years were found.

The statue, made of sandstone and measuring 13 meters in length, is considered one of the largest and oldest Buddhist monuments in Thailand.

Collection Was Beneath the Largest Reclining Buddha in the Country

According to the Department of Fine Arts of Thailand, the find occurred during excavations carried out more than a meter beneath the statue.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Art Depicts Buddha in Unique Details

One of the most impressive objects was a gold plate, measuring about seven by twelve centimeters. The piece depicts a seated Buddha in a teaching posture.

The image was made using the repoussé technique, showcasing details such as spiral hair, a halo, elongated ears, and a draped cloak.

Another artifact, similar to the first, was made of a lead and tin alloy. It shows the Buddha standing within an arched frame, with two figures at his side.

Experts believe one of the figures represents the Hindu god Brahma. However, the other is damaged and could not be identified.

According to the Director-General of the Department of Fine Arts of Thailand, Phanombutr Chantrachot, the metal plate with the image of the Buddha has a small hole in the corner. This indicates that the object may have been hung by a string, possibly used as a decorative or religious piece.

Third Artifact May Have Ritual Function

The third item found was a pile of metal plates sealed with clay and cement. The image on the plates is damaged, but the location where they were found—behind the head of the statue—raises hypotheses.

For experts, it is possible that the pile was a ritual offering intentionally placed at that location.

Chantrachot remarked that the position of the find, just behind the reclining head of the Buddha, reinforces the theory that it was a religious offering made with a clear purpose.

Historical Treasure Will Be Preserved

All the discovered artifacts are now under the care of the Phimai National Museum. They are being cataloged and preserved for future research and exhibitions.

The pieces help to better understand the Dvaravati period, which lasted from the 6th to the 11th century. This era is considered a formative phase in the history of Thailand.

The discovery also showcases the skills of ancient artisans in the region and the blend of Buddhist and Hindu influences in local culture. The objects reveal details about the art, faith, and customs of Southeast Asia over a thousand years ago.

With information from Daily Galaxy.

They Dug Under the Country’s Largest Buddha Statue and Found a 1,300-Year-Old Treasure, With Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pieces Inside a Valuable Ceramic Container

Treasures Found Beneath Thailand’s Largest Reclining Buddha Statue Reveal Precious Artifacts Over 1,300 Years Old

Collection Was Beneath the Largest Reclining Buddha in the Country

Art Depicts Buddha in Unique Details

Third Artifact May Have Ritual Function

Historical Treasure Will Be Preserved

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Xiaomi launches new smart stove with titanium sensor and automatic shutdown that detects an open flame without supervision.

AI identifies eight US cities at risk of flooding, with New York and New Orleans facing enormous risks due to concrete, sinking ground, and areas below sea level in an alert that alarms residents and authorities.

Antarctica could warm 1.4 times faster than the rest of the Southern Hemisphere in the coming decades, and scientists warn that the ocean around the continent could accelerate thawing, sea ice loss, and failures in polar ecosystems.

INMET issues an alert for the Northeast with rainfall up to 75 mm above average in April, increasing concern about disruptions on the north coast and keeping Maranhão, Piauí, and Ceará on alert until the end of the month and the turn into May.

The body suffers in space, the risk is enormous, and the salary is surprising: the salary of Artemis II astronauts is lower than many people imagine.

While Brazil discusses the end of the 6×1 shift and the reduction of work hours, Milei’s Argentina moves in the opposite direction, paving the way for a workday of up to 12 hours per day in a reform that reignites strikes and labor tension in the country.

They Dug Under the Country’s Largest Buddha Statue and Found a 1,300-Year-Old Treasure, With Gold, Silver, and Bronze Pieces Inside a Valuable Ceramic Container

Treasures Found Beneath Thailand’s Largest Reclining Buddha Statue Reveal Precious Artifacts Over 1,300 Years Old

Collection Was Beneath the Largest Reclining Buddha in the Country

Art Depicts Buddha in Unique Details

Third Artifact May Have Ritual Function

Historical Treasure Will Be Preserved

The Soviet Union spent 22 years drilling into the Earth’s crust and reached a depth of 12,262 meters — they found water where it was thought impossible, hydrogen bubbling from the rock, granite that is 2.7 billion years old, and temperatures of 180 degrees that melted the drill bits.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

Norway is drilling 27 kilometers of rock 392 meters below the bottom of a fjord to build the world’s largest and deepest underwater road tunnel — when completed, a 21-hour journey will be reduced to 10.

A German architect built a cylindrical house in 1994 that rotates to follow the sun throughout the day, generates 5 times more energy than it consumes, and was the world’s first energy-positive house.

An astronaut spent 340 days in space while his twin brother stayed on Earth, and NASA found a “rejuvenating” effect, genes, microbiome, cognition, and immune system that revealed the biological cost of living outside the planet.

Xiaomi launches new smart stove with titanium sensor and automatic shutdown that detects an open flame without supervision.

AI identifies eight US cities at risk of flooding, with New York and New Orleans facing enormous risks due to concrete, sinking ground, and areas below sea level in an alert that alarms residents and authorities.

Antarctica could warm 1.4 times faster than the rest of the Southern Hemisphere in the coming decades, and scientists warn that the ocean around the continent could accelerate thawing, sea ice loss, and failures in polar ecosystems.

A comet that could shine brighter than the brightest star in the night sky makes its closest approach to Earth this Sunday, and the best window to see it in Brazil is in early May.

Google puts $15 billion on the table to build a 5 GW mega data center in India, surpassing the country’s entire current capacity and keeping pace with a 50% growth in global AI demand.

Scientists warn of the worst: oceanic eddies up to 10 km are warming the sea surface up to 4 times faster than the global average and intensifying coastal climate extremes, a study points out.

AI identifies eight US cities at risk of flooding, with New York and New Orleans facing enormous risks due to concrete, sinking ground, and areas below sea level in an alert that alarms residents and authorities.

Antarctica could warm 1.4 times faster than the rest of the Southern Hemisphere in the coming decades, and scientists warn that the ocean around the continent could accelerate thawing, sea ice loss, and failures in polar ecosystems.

INMET issues an alert for the Northeast with rainfall up to 75 mm above average in April, increasing concern about disruptions on the north coast and keeping Maranhão, Piauí, and Ceará on alert until the end of the month and the turn into May.

The body suffers in space, the risk is enormous, and the salary is surprising: the salary of Artemis II astronauts is lower than many people imagine.

While Brazil discusses the end of the 6×1 shift and the reduction of work hours, Milei’s Argentina moves in the opposite direction, paving the way for a workday of up to 12 hours per day in a reform that reignites strikes and labor tension in the country.