One-thousand meters up a mountain in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, stone structures, relics and at least one phallus-shaped rock have been discovered.
The discovery of the settlement potentially thousands of years old was announced online yesterday by historian Phum Jiradejwong. He said he and his team — dubbed “explorers of the City of Mountains” — uncovered it last week.
According to the historian, his team was tipped off about the settlement in 2017 and had researched it ever since. This month, they asked local experts to lead the way through the jungle and up the mountain where they found several walls and heaps of rocks. Though they have yet to definitively date it, Phum said it shared construction features similar to other ruins dated to the 6th century BCE.
Phum made references to other ancient stone structures uncovered in the south such as the 1,000-year-old Rock Ruin in Songkhla’s Koh Yai, a flight of stone stairs at Khao Sam Kaew in Chumphon province and the Khao Ka Ancient Remains in Nakhon Si Thammarat.
However, the origins of the settlement can not yet be confirmed, as Phum said only “5%” has been explored.
“This is only an initial exploration,” Phum wrote of the discovery. “Thoroughly exploring this rainforest area will need more detailed research … Please, jai yen yen,” Phum said, telling people to be patient about the exciting news.
Phum said his team has alerted park rangers and authorities including the governor of Nakhon Si Thammarat.
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