Cave raiders: Thai archaeologists hunt ancient artwork

October 6, 2020

By Dene-Hern Chen

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, Thailand (AFP) - An antelope, a lonely figure, a family linking arms—Kanniga Premjai shines her flashlight across a cave to reveal long-hidden paintings, a stunning discovery for Thailand's scrappy team of archaeologists.

For months, Kanniga and her small team have combed Sam Roi Yot National Park, about four hours southwest of Bangkok, following a ranger wielding a machete as he slashes a path through thorny vegetation.

They had searched about 40 caves—with no luck—before they stumbled on a cavern located a steep climb through rocky cliff terrain.

"I screamed when we found the paintings," she tells AFP, pointing out clusters of rust-coloured figures that look like they are holding hands.

The dark walls initially shrouded the etchings, but careful examination and the use of a mobile application—which helps researchers enhance rock art—exposed the drawings.

"They are pre-historic and they're about 2-3,000 years old," Kanniga says.

Thailand has unearthed ancient temples and cities, such as the ruins in the historic former capital of Ayutthaya and northern Chiang Mai—which attract domestic and foreign tourists.

But the search for cave drawings is more challenging for Thailand's understaffed Department of Fine Arts, often because of the arduous trekking required.

"A lot of their primary work is just preserving what is already found... and that already takes up a lot of time," says Noel Hidalgo Tan, an expert with Southeast Asia's regional centre for archaeology and fine arts.

"There's a lot of places in Thailand that are still unexplored."

Read more of this AFP story on Phys.org.

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