Page:Foundation of Ayuthia - Damrong - 1904.pdf/1



There is an old city to the south-west of Suphanburī (Suvarnapurī) near the range of mountains which form the boundary between Müang Suphan (Suvarnapurī) and Kanchanaburi. The river which ran near the city was called the Nam Chorakhe Suphan; but at the present day it is dried up in places and is shallow and is consequently not navigable.

The city is called by the people Müang Thao U Thong (the city of King U Thong) and there is a tradition that Thao U Thong reigned over this city until an epidemic broke out and the people died in great numbers. He then abandoned the city and turning to the East looked out for another place to establish the capital; but the epidemic did not abate. He then crossed the Suphan (Tachin) river to escape the ravages of the epidemic, and even at the present time near the Suphan river there is a place called "Tha Thao U Thong" i.e. the crossing of King U Thong.

On a journey which led me up to Müang Thao U Thong in 1904 I found it to be an old walled city, with several ponds dug near it, and it gave me the same impression as the old city of Sukhothai. In the city itself were numerous remains of brick moulds which clearly showed, that they were the remains of old temples, and there were also some temples which showed the form of a Chedi. I also found several old statues of the Buddha, and images of Hindu Gods the workmanship of which was similar to those found in Phra Prathom Chedi. From enquiries made of the people, I also was able to obtain some old coins which were dug up some years before and which showed the emblem of a conch-shell in the same way as the coins found in Phra Thôn. This would lead to the conclusion, that the town would be contemporary with the old city of Phra Prathom Chedi, and much earlier than the present town of Suphanburi. But some of the chedis appear to be of more