Premier inspects inscription stones of old city pillar

(KPL) Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh last Thursday inspected the inscription stones found near the old city pillar shrine at Phia Vat village, Sisattanark district, Vientiane capital.

The stones were found by archaeologists of the Heritage Department, Ministry of Information and Culture, on December 29, 2009. They were found at the site of the ongoing construction of the City Pillar Shrine.

?The 97 stones found today are the second batch of discoveries,? said the director of the Heritage Department, Ministry of Information and Culture, Mr. Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy.

Our first discovery was recorded on January 17, 2007 during our archaeological excavation before the construction of Road No 1 and 193 ancient stones recording the details and dates of the proclamation of the ancient town.

Mr. Thongsa said that the stones found last month and those discovered in 2007 were dated on February 16, 1540 or 470 years ago or 20 years before Vientiane was proclaimed the national capital of the Lane Xang Kingdom, ancient Laos.