Four monkeys climbing vines, a gaur below them and two human handprints have been identified on a cave wall in northeastern Thailand. Fine Arts Department archaeologists believe the red paintings may date back 3,500–4,000 years, opening a new window onto prehistoric life in the region.Photos: อำเภอศรีบุญเรือง Facebook
The Discovery
Archaeologists from Thailand's Fine Arts Department have documented previously unrecorded rock paintings inside a cave in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeastern Thailand.
The survey took place at Pha Wiang Cave, behind Wat Tham Pha Wiang in Na Kae subdistrict, Na Wang district. The newly documented paintings are located near the entrance to Thammart Cave, a smaller cave opposite the monastery's main cave.
The inspection was led by Tippawan Wongassapaiboon, an archaeologist from the Fine Arts Department's 8th Regional Office in Khon Kaen.
The discovery followed reports that prehistoric rock art had been identified at the site. Archaeologists subsequently carried out an on-site examination and used image-enhancement software to study markings that were difficult to distinguish on the rock surface.
Their analysis identified several red paintings that appear to represent animals and people.
The Fine Arts Department believes the artwork may be approximately 3,500–4,000 years old.
What Archaeologists Found
The most distinctive images are four monkeys climbing vines, positioned above a gaur.
The paintings are located on a rock face close to the cave entrance. Their survival provides a rare record of prehistoric imagery in a part of Thailand where archaeologists are still building a broader picture of ancient settlement and cultural connections.
The researchers also identified evidence of at least two later phases of painting superimposed over the earlier images.
This suggests the rock surface may have remained meaningful to people after the first paintings were created. Rather than representing a single moment, the wall may preserve several periods of activity.
Two handprints were also identified. Archaeologists believe one may have been made by an adult and the other by a child.
Their precise purpose remains uncertain.
Tippawan suggested that the paintings could reflect animals encountered by prehistoric communities, as well as hunting practices and ritual activities. She also proposed that cave imagery could have played a role in passing knowledge about hunting and survival between generations.
The handprints may similarly have been connected with ancient rituals or simply served as marks of human presence.
Historical Background
The newly documented paintings belong to a period when prehistoric communities were living across what is now northeastern Thailand.
The archaeological significance of Pha Wiang extends beyond the images themselves. During the same survey, researchers found fragments of pottery bearing incised decoration similar to artefacts associated with Ban Chiang, the UNESCO World Heritage site in neighbouring Udon Thani province.
That resemblance could provide an important avenue for future investigation.
Archaeologists believe the pottery may help explore connections between prehistoric communities across the upper northeastern region, including areas stretching from Loei province towards Phu Phra Bat Historical Park in Udon Thani.
Pha Wiang may have formed part of an ancient cultural route linking these communities, although that possibility requires further archaeological study.
The cave landscape itself may also have attracted repeated activity because it offered a location where people could leave material and visual traces over generations.
Scientific Analysis
The current dating of the rock art remains an archaeological assessment rather than a definitive laboratory result.
Fine Arts Department archaeologists estimate that the paintings date to approximately 3,500–4,000 years ago. Image-enhancement software helped researchers identify details that were not immediately obvious during visual inspection.
The evidence of superimposed paintings is particularly important because it indicates that the rock surface was used more than once.
Researchers must therefore distinguish between the earliest imagery and later additions when reconstructing the site's chronology.
The pottery fragments provide another line of evidence. Their incised patterns resemble artefacts from Ban Chiang, but the supplied archaeological report does not establish that the pottery and paintings are exactly contemporary.
Further examination could help determine how the material remains relate to the different phases of activity within the cave.
The combination of rock art, pottery and other artefacts could eventually provide a broader chronology for human activity at Pha Wiang.
Why This Discovery Matters
The importance of the discovery lies partly in its potential to connect visual art, material culture and prehistoric movement across northeastern Thailand.
The paintings offer direct evidence of how ancient people represented animals and marked their surroundings. The monkeys and gaur may reflect aspects of the natural environment familiar to the communities who created the images, while the human handprints preserve a more immediate physical connection between people and the cave wall.
The pottery fragments raise a wider question about regional interaction.
If similarities between the Pha Wiang pottery and material from Ban Chiang are confirmed as part of a broader pattern, the cave could contribute to understanding how prehistoric communities exchanged ideas, objects and cultural practices across the region.
The possibility that Pha Wiang formed part of an ancient cultural route makes further investigation particularly significant.
Were the paintings simply local expressions of life around the cave, or could they be part of a wider visual and cultural tradition shared across prehistoric northeastern Thailand?
What’s Next?
The site is being considered for further study and possible registration as an archaeological site.
Officials are expected to return for a more detailed examination of the paintings and associated artefacts. Additional investigation could help establish the chronology of the different painting phases and clarify the relationship between the rock art and pottery fragments.
The surrounding caves may also deserve closer examination.
The abbot of Wat Tham Pha Wiang, Phra Khru Wichai Phatthanakit, has already collected and preserved numerous artefacts found in nearby caves. These include decorated pottery, ancient jars, polished stone axes, beads and large bone fragments.
Such material could provide valuable evidence if its archaeological context can be documented.
For now, officials are stressing preservation.
Visitors have been warned not to touch the paintings or remove objects from the caves. Archaeologists caution that even a single artefact can contain information about the past, while removing it from its original context can permanently destroy evidence about how and when it was used.
Conclusion
The newly documented paintings at Pha Wiang Cave add an important prehistoric site to the archaeological landscape of northeastern Thailand.
Four monkeys climbing vines, a gaur and two human handprints survive alongside evidence of later painting phases and pottery fragments with similarities to material from Ban Chiang. Fine Arts Department archaeologists believe the artwork could be between 3,500 and 4,000 years old.
The site may ultimately reveal more than a collection of ancient images. With further research, Pha Wiang could help archaeologists investigate prehistoric movement, cultural connections and the ways communities passed knowledge between generations.
For now, the cave remains an archaeological record that needs careful protection before its story can be fully understood.
FAQ
How old are the rock paintings at Pha Wiang Cave?
Fine Arts Department archaeologists believe the paintings date to approximately 3,500–4,000 years ago. Further research may refine their chronology.
What animals are shown in the paintings?
The rock art includes four monkeys climbing vines and a gaur depicted below them. Archaeologists believe the imagery may reflect animals encountered by prehistoric communities.
What other artefacts were discovered?
Researchers found decorated pottery fragments, while nearby caves have produced jars, polished stone axes, beads and large bone fragments. The pottery decoration resembles material associated with Ban Chiang.
Where were the paintings found?
The paintings were documented near the entrance to Thammart Cave, a smaller cave opposite Pha Wiang Cave behind Wat Tham Pha Wiang in Na Wang district, Nong Bua Lamphu province.
