Some 130 kilometres South of Phetchabun on Highway No.21,
and with another 9 kilometres after a left turn, is the
Si Thep Historical Park. Si Thep is an ancient town
where many architectural structures still remain indicative
of its past prosperity during the 11th-18th Buddhist Centuries.
It was once the centre of contact between the Dvaravati
kingdom in the Central Plain basin and the Khmer kingdom
in the Northeast. A twin-city, there were over one hundred
ancient sites all built with bricks and laterite, most of
which have crumbled. There are also remains of several ponds
spread out all over the area. Most of the ancient relics
recovered are parts of architectural nature such as elaborate
lintels, plastered designs and Sema stone (used to mark
out limits of Buddhist temples) and human skeletons still
adorned with ornamental pieces
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