2,000-Year-Old Inscribed Gold Rings Unearthed in Phetchaburi
Archaeologists in Phetchaburi have unearthed two 2,000-year-old gold rings inscribed with Brahmi script at the Don Yai Thong site, with the inscription reading "Pusarakhita," a Sanskrit name meaning "protected by the star Pushya" that refle
The Fine Arts Department has announced the discovery of two ancient gold rings bearing Brahmi script inscriptions, estimated at approximately 2,000 years old, found at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Samoe Phloe subdistrict, Ban Lad district, Phetchaburi province. The rings were discovered among skeleton remains labeled as skeleton number 4.
On July 3, 2026, the Department of Thai and Oriental Languages Epigraphy at Silpakorn University officially presented the inscription reading. According to Dr. Uther Wongsathit, instructor of the Thai and Oriental Languages Epigraphy program, the inscription on the ring reads "Pusarakhita," a Sanskrit-derived word in Prakrit meaning "of Pusyarakshita" (Pali: Pussarakkṭitasŝ, Sanskrit: Puṣyarakṣitasŷ). This translates to "he who is protected by the star Pushya" and corresponds to the Sanskrit name Puṣyarakṣita, which refers to a name found in ancient India.
The reading aligns with the characteristic features of Brahmi script from the 5th-7th centuries Buddhist era, with distinct letter formations that provide valuable linguistic and historical context. The discovery represents significant evidence of trade, cultural exchange, and contact between the Suvarnabhumi region and ancient India during the early historical period, unearthed from an archaeological site in Thailand.
