Chakrit yamnam thailand cave art

An antelope, a lonely figure, a family linking arms -- Kanniga Premjai shines her flashlight across a cave to reveal long-hidden paintings, a stunning discovery for her scrappy band of archaeologists. For months, Ms Kanniga and her small team have combed Sam Roi Yot National Park, about four hours southwest of Bangkok, following a ranger wielding a machete as he slashes a path through thorny vegetation.

They had searched about 40 caves -- with no luck -- before they stumbled on a cavern located a steep climb through rocky cliff terrain. The dark walls initially shrouded the etchings, but careful examination and the use of a mobile application -- which helps researchers enhance rock art -- exposed the drawings. Thailand has unearthed ancient temples and cities, such as the ruins in the historic former capital of Ayutthaya and northern Chiang Mai -- which attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Chakrit yamnam thailand cave art: Based on an Old Thai

But the search for cave drawings is more challenging for the understaffed Department of Fine Arts, often because of the arduous trekking required. Locals often venture into the caves to collect guano -- or bat feces used as fertiliser -- but might not notice the wall art, which is why Ms Kanniga's mission is "to search every cave and cliff in the park".

While they are not Thailand's oldest -- that title belongs to markings believed to be between , years old found in the north -- the "Clay Cave" supports Ms Kanniga's hypothesis that the Sam Roi Yot area was once home for pre-historic people. Cave exploration is Ms Kanniga's passion, but this year is the first in her nearly two-decade career that she is able to devote time and resources to it.

She is one of three archaeologists overseeing six provinces in the Ratchaburi Fine Arts Department and previously spent time assessing historical sites to determine age and provenance. The discovery of paintings in by authorities doing a cursory sweep of Sam Roi Yot's perimeter prompted Ms Kanniga to push for further research in the park's unmapped grounds.