Mueang U-Taphao (Dong Muang)

Mueang U-Taphao, also called Dong Mueang, was located in Ban Dong Mueang of Muang Wan Sub-district in the Nong Saeng District of Saraburi. It was a Dvaravati-era settlement established in an area inland of the former 8,000-7,000 years old shoreline. U-Taphao was a circular moated settlement with a rampart (laterite stones are displayed at the local museum) surrounding the site, dating back to the 6th - 11th centuries.

The original topography has changed dramatically through the centuries. The plain looks relatively flat with some low hilly areas.

The ancient community had two moats, of which the inner moat enclosing the central part can be easily observed. There are still traces of the outer moat, but they are less visible. The inner moat received the water from the outer moat via a canal on its eastern side. The water of the inner moat was drained south into the outer moat in the southwest. The central part had a large square pond, about 75 m x 75 m. Based on the archaeological excavation, the community used monoculture.

Ayutthaya Historical Research