The Urban Development in Nakhon Si Thammarat (Peninsular Thailand). Based on Preliminary Results of Excavations

Preliminary excavations at Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, Nakhon Si Thammarat, reveal significant insights into the urban development of the region during a critical period of its history. The study highlights the presence of structured urban planning and architectural innovations, suggesting advanced societal organization in Peninsular Thailand. Researchers employed stratigraphic excavation techniques to analyze soil layers, artifacts, and architectural remains, providing evidence of continuous settlement and development from early periods through the Dvaravati era (6th–11th centuries CE). These findings challenge previous assumptions about the region's urbanization process, indicating a more complex and sustained trajectory than previously recognized. The study underscores the importance of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan as a key site for understanding the cultural and political dynamics of ancient Southeast Asia.

Noonsuk, W. (2012). The Urban Development in Nakhon Si Thammarat (Peninsular Thailand). Based on Preliminary Results of Excavations. Bulletin de l’Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient, 99(1), 331–349. https://doi.org/10.3406/befeo.2012.6158