Monumental Ruins Emerge Following Massive Myanmar Earthquake

The ruins of a possible water palace from the Konbaung Dynasty era have emerged following the massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar late last month.

The earthquake that killed thousands of people and damaged infrastructure and structures across the country, including heritage sites, also unearthed long-forgotten monuments and ancient ruins.

Ruins that archaeologists believe may have once been a water palace or water-related structure for royal ceremonies held by ancient Myanmar kings from the Konbaung Dynasty era were found in Inwa near Tada-U, a town in central Myanmar about 6.2 miles from the provincial capital Mandalay.

Though some of parts of the southern Thayetkin staircase of the structure were first discovered by local residence in 2009 and subsequently cared for by the Department of Archaeology and National Museum, additional parts of the structure have now been revealed.

The ruins reportedly include foundational structures, stairways, and traces of pavilions that match illustrations recorded in ancient palm-leaf manuscripts. The site was likely used in service of the royal city of Ratnapura Ava (or “City of Gems”), which was an imperial capital for successive Burmese kingdoms between the 14th and 19th centuries.

The Konbaung dynasty, or the Third Burmese Empire, was the last dynasty to rule Burma between 1752 to 1885 before it was annexed by the British Empire during the Anglo-Burmese Wars.

Located in Inwa, just 3.6 miles north of Tada-U, Ratnapura Ava was looted and rebuilt many times until a series of major earthquakes in March 1839 left the city abandoned.

The structure is expected to be excavated and preserved, with plans to make the site accessible for public education, according to the Department of Archaeology and National Museum under the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture.