Two 2,000-Year-Old Gold Rings Found With Skeleton at Thailand Site

Archaeologists found two gold rings estimated at around 2,000 years old with human bones at the Don Yai Thong site in Thailand's Phetchaburi province. The Thai government's Fine Arts Department reported the discovery last week during an ongoing excavation. One ring, recovered on Thursday, carries an engraving in characters identified as Bhrami script.

The inscription reads "pusarakhitasa," which translates as "the one protected by Pushya," an auspicious zodiac sign in Indian astronomy, according to the department. The second ring is plain gold without markings. Experts assess that the owner may have belonged to the Vaishyas merchant caste in the ancient Indian system.

The site lies about 80 miles southwest of Bangkok. Residents discovered pieces of ancient bronze drums in a rice field early this year, prompting the dig. The location dates to Thailand's Iron Age, roughly 1,500 to 2,500 years ago.

Since February, the team has recovered eight human skeletons along with bronze and gold jewelry, pottery, and other items that point to ceremonial burials of wealthy individuals. Local media noted one skeleton believed to be a child's, with a bronze object on the torso. Charcoal samples have been sent to the United States for dating.

The Fine Arts Department said the excavation should finish within a month, after which the finds will be prepared for public display.