An ancient inscribed stone tablet was discovered in Ann Township, central Arakan State, by a monk who was digging a well at a monastery in Ruu Village on 14 January.
The inscribed tablet is about two feet long and 1.5 feet wide. U Wai Hun Aung, an Arakanese author said that it is believed to have been carved during the Visalia period of the Arakanese era that ran from the sixth century Ad to the eighth century AD.
He said: “The inscription was made by the Arakanese ancestors as a record for their religious donations during the period.”
Kyaw Min Htin, who researches ancient artefacts, could only read some of the inscriptions on one side of the tablet. He read one sentence, which was written in the Pali language using an ancient Arakanese alphabet, it said ‘Thetba Thingar Tahtar’.
He tried to read more but could only read a few lines, according to U Wai Hun Aung.
Edited in English by Mark Inkey for BNI