The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI) will apply science and technology in conservation work at historical sites and ancient artefacts.
Minister Anek Laothamatas said the ministry will work with the Thailand Academy of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts (Tassha) research centre and Thailand Academy of Sciences (TAS).
Tassha, TAS, and the Fine Arts Department will kick off the project at the Wiang Tha Kan archaeological site in San Pa Tong district of Chiang Mai. The site comprises several ruins believed to date from the Hariphunchai Kingdom from about 1,100 years ago, he said.
The team will apply modern technologies including light detection and ranging (Lidar) which is a remote sensing method for examining ruins, and advanced technology for calculating the dates of ancient artefacts or even genes of ancient people's bones.
He expects the study will create the most accurate database about the archaeological site, and the same techniques will be employed at other such sites.
The team eventually will be able to create a database that can be referred to at an international level, he said.
Prof Dr Sirirurg Songsivilai, the MHESI permanent secretary, said the project will help save on costs in determining the dates of old artefacts because the department will not have to send items abroad for dates to be verified. It will be exciting to see scientists and social experts working together, which means more academics can apply their expertise, he said.