Hindu God Brahma seen on artefact discovered in gold treasure under reclining Buddha statue in Thailand
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Hindu God Brahma seen on artefact discovered in gold treasure under reclining Buddha statue in Thailand")
Representative image Photograph: (Unsplash)
Archaeologists found a gold treasure under the longest and oldest reclining Buddha statue in Thailand. There are three artefacts, and one of them is believed to be the Hindu God Brahma. The discovery was made at the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex.
Conservation and development work at a famous reclining Buddha statue site revealed a gold treasure comprising 33 ancient ornaments of gold, silver, and bronze. Thailand’s Fine Arts Department said in a statement that the discovery was made inside the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex. On April 21, 2025, workers were removing moisture from over four feet below the sandstone statue when they struck a ceramic container. The earthenware vessel, which wasn't fully built, contained the metal ornaments "including gold rings, silver earrings, and various bronze pieces." One of the items is a screw-hoop bronze earring, which is similar to discoveries made at the Phu Khao Thong archaeological site in Ranong Province and the Tha Chana archaeological site in Surat Thani Province. This means that the bronze earring belongs to the Dvaravati period, about 1,300 years ago.
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Which artefacts were found under the reclining Buddha statue?
Archaeologists took over and continued the digging work at the Phra Non archaeological site. They unearthed three more artefacts made of gold and lead/tin. One of them Rectangular embossed gold leaf plaque depicting a seated Buddha. It measures eight centimetres wide and 12.5 centimetres high and is in good condition. "The embossed image shows a seated Buddha with a halo around his head, large, coiled curls of hair, long ears, downcast eyes, thick lips, and a robe draped diagonally," the statement reads.
Hindu God Brahma on a Thai artefact
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The second item is a tin or lead embossed panel depicting a Buddha image in an arched frame. It is 11.5 cm wide and 15.5 cm high and shows a standing Buddha with a halo of small beads around his head. However, this piece is broken and missing a portion on the right, which was supposedly a figure. The figure on the left is believed to be the Thai expression of the Hindu god Brahma.
The third artefact consists of three pieces of earthen lumps with metal plates embedded. They are quite damaged, making the exact count unclear. They were located behind the head of the reclining Buddha statue. Phanombutr Chantrachot, the director-general of the Fine Arts Department, says this shows that the artwork was possibly some sort of ritual offering.
Notably, the reclining Buddha statue inside the Wat Thammachak Sema Ram temple complex is considered the country’s longest, measuring a whopping 43 feet long. It is also the oldest, as it was created around 657 AD. The Phimai National Museum is now examining the artefacts and initial conservation efforts have started.
