The discovery of two ancient gold rings, believed to be around 2,000 years old, has provided fresh archaeological evidence of ancient India’s trade and cultural links with Southeast Asia. The rings were unearthed during an ongoing excavation at the newly identified Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi province, western Thailand. They were recovered together with human skeletal remains, leading archaeologists to associate the finds with the Iron Age, a period when maritime trade between India and Southeast Asia was flourishing.
The Don Yai Thong site, situated about 130 kilometres (about 80 miles) southwest of Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, was identified in early 2026 after local residents discovered fragments of ancient bronze drums while working in a rice field. The discovery prompted Thailand’s Fine Arts Department to undertake a full-scale excavation, which has since revealed important evidence about the region’s late prehistoric period of human settlement, also known as the Iron Age, spanning roughly 1,500 to 2,500 years ago.
Brahmi Inscription on One of the Gold Rings
Among the two discoveries, one gold ring has attracted particular attention because it carries an engraving in characters identified as Brahmi, one of the oldest writing systems of ancient India. After an initial examination, experts interpreted the inscription as ‘pusarakhitasa’, meaning ‘the one protected by Pushya’. Pushya is regarded as one of the most auspicious nakshatras (lunar constellations) in Indian astronomy and Vedic astrology.
The second ring, recovered from the same skeletal remains, is a plain gold ring without any engraving, design, or pattern. The presence of the Brahmi inscription on the first ring is considered significant because Brahmi later evolved into many modern South Asian scripts, while many scripts and alphabets used across South and Southeast Asia (such as Thai and Khmer) are also believed to have developed from it. Brahmi appeared as a fully developed writing system in the third century B.C.E. and was used to inscribe histories and announcements on cliffs, pillars, and caves during the reign of Ashoka.
Trade Networks Reflected in the Discovery
The inscription, together with the craftsmanship and style of the jewellery, has led experts to suggest that the rings may have belonged to a merchant associated with the Vaishyas, an ancient Indian social class traditionally linked with trade and commerce. This interpretation points towards early contact between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
The findings also correspond with the long-established maritime trade routes created by Indian merchants’ centuries before the Common Era. These trade networks connected the two regions through the exchange of spices, beads, textiles, metals, and religious ideas. The newly discovered rings therefore strengthen archaeological evidence of the commercial and cultural interactions that existed nearly two millennia ago.
Insights into the Don Yai Thong Burial Site
Excavations at Don Yai Thong, which began in February 2026, have so far yielded eight human skeletons together with bronze and gold jewellery, pottery, ceremonial objects, and other artefacts. The presence of valuable ornaments suggests that those buried at the site were wealthy and occupied an important position in their society. Local media has also reported that one of the skeletons is believed to be that of a young child with bronze object placed on the torso. The burials appear to have followed a specific ritual pattern with the deceased facing northeast and a bronze item placed over the head.
Further Archaeological Investigation
To obtain a better understanding of the site, researchers plan to undertake 3D scans, while charcoal samples recovered during the excavation have been sent to the United States for scientific dating. The Fine Arts Department expects excavation work to continue further before the site is closed for additional analysis. Once the work is completed, the recovered artefacts will be conserved and placed on public display, enabling these discoveries to further illuminate the ancient connections between India and Southeast Asia.
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