The most recent discovery of an old human bone in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which is thought to be at least 29, 000 years old, demonstrates that people lived in the area that is now Thailand during the Old Stone Age.
The Tham Din archaeological site in Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park, home to ancient cave paintings, and a skeleton from the Pleistocene period, was jointly announced by the Fine Arts Department and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plants Conservation ( DNP ).
According to the Great Art Department’s Director General Phanombootra Chandrajoti, the skull, believed to be of an eight-year-old baby, is the oldest man bone actually discovered in Thailand, providing archaeologists with a good starting point to develop the study into the beginning of the development of ancient technology.
He believes this may lead to many more insights, whether in anthropology or related to the native habitat.
The investigation began in 2022, according to Kannika Premjai, who led the team of archaeologists at the blog.
During the investigation, the group believed the grotto held something more substantial, with findings of ashes, dog bones, ceramic, shells and burnt seeds at 1.6 metres below the surface.
A lab in the United States sent samples of remains and shells to check their age.
Using an Accelerator Mass Spectrometer ( AMS ) testing method, the samples were concluded to be between 10, 000-29, 000 years old.
According to Ms. Kannika, the test results have led to the conclusion that a boy’s skull, which was later discovered at a deeper level next time, may be older than 29 000 times.
The spine tests will be sent for a lab examination to determine the true time, she continued.
Trace of society
According to Ms Kannika, the skull was found two feet from the floor in an “extraordinarily best” problem. According to the size of the bones and the bone joints, the skull was thought to be that of a child who lived in the Palaeolithic Period and was between six and eight years old.
The time began 2.6 million years ago, around the end of the last Ice Age, and ended 12, 000 years before. ” This should be the oldest bone found in the country”, Ms Kannika said.
The team discovered the skull with red globe covering the head and chest areas, according to her.
She said that the dark earth and the rock are thought to represent body and power.
The brain is thought to have been smoked, and there are signs that the feet were bound.
It is thought that rites were used to treat the system, including a hypothesis that this was one way to prevent it from being eaten by wild animals.
We have discovered that the brain placement and place was a tradition, implying that the local people living below had their own culture and way of life.
” We even learnt that they ate wild, barking deer, boar, oysters and flowers. We did learn more as we continue our exploration”, she said.
She added that the skeleton, named by the team as” Nong Pang Pond”, was a human intelligent, very near to today’s people due to its straight core trait when standing.
The largest habitat page in the country, located on the Gulf of Thailand beach of Prachuap Khiri Khan state, is located in the 98-square-kilometer marble hills national park, which is home to the bone of the skeleton.
According to Chaiporn Siripornpibul, a withdrew scientist from the Department of Mineral Resources and team member, the age of the limestone rocks at the national area should be around 250 million times.
Considering the evidence of liquid erosion, it is believed that the cave is part of a water ecosystem.
He claimed that rocks provide their shelter and that the site and the surrounding areas are regarded as fertile area that are ideal for human habitation.
Cave drawings in various halls, equipment and other man-made signs have confirmed the existence of a primitive human society, Mr Chaiporn said.
The discovery, according to Rasamee Chusongdech, an archaeologist from Silpakorn University, demonstrates that the area where Thailand is now located has been a place of human settlement since the prehistoric period.
Numerous other species of seeds in the cave also offer advice on how to live and work. According to Ms. Rasamee, more research is required to piece together all the puzzle pieces.
If successful, it might elevate Thailand as one of the world’s most important learning sites for human evolution, she said.
Mr. Phanombootra stated that the DNP and the Fine Arts Department intend to use the site as a learning facility. The Tham Din Cave area is currently not ready for tourism as of yet, as surveys and excavations are being conducted by officials.
Further investigation is necessary for this discovery, and Mr. Phanombootra said the department will continue to look into more ancient sites.