The precious stone, which is believed to be around 300 years old, was found in the palace grounds of Mrauk Oo, an ancient Arakan Kingdom city, said an official of the State Archeological Department.

U Aung Kyaw Zan, the director of the State Archaeological Department said: “It is true that an inscribed stone was found, but it is not a complete. We have put it in our department.”

The script was engraved onto the stone in the year 1074 of the Arakan era (1712 AD). The inscribed characters are circular in nature and were used in the Mrauk Oo period he added.

Local people said that the inscribed stone was found in the eastern part of the palace grounds on 8th December whilst workmen were digging as part of repairs. The stone, which was originally four feet square and five inches thick was almost half missing.

“We found it while we were digging to repair steps,"  said Daw Khin Than, the director of the Association to Preserve Ancient Cultural Heritage.

There was massive turmoil in the Arakan Kingdom during Arakan Era 1000. The inscribed stone probably records the unrest being faced by the king at the time, King Sanda Wisaya, said U Maung Thein, the secretary of the Association to Preserve Ancient Cultural Heritage.