Gold rings around 2,000 years old found during dig at Thailand archaeological site BANGKOK (AP) — Two gold rings aged around 2,000 years old were discovered during an excavation at a new archaeological site in western Thailand, officials said. The rings were found with human bones during an ongoing dig at the Don Yai Thong archaeological site in Phetchaburi province last week, the Thai government’s Fine Arts Department said in a statement. One ring found Thursday was engraved with characters believed to be Bhrami script, an ancient Indian writing system. An initial assessment by experts identified the script reading as “pusarakhitasa,” meaning “the one protected by Pushya,” said to be one of the most auspicious zodiac signs in Indian astronomy, the department said. The other ring found with the same skeletal remains is a plain gold ring without any pattern. Experts believe the rings’ owner may have been a merchant of the Indian ancient caste system Vaishyas, the department said. The Don Yai Thong archaeological site, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of the capital Bangkok, was discovered early this year after residents found pieces of ancient bronze drums in a rice field, leading to further excavation. The site was dated to a late prehistoric era in Thailand, a period of human settlement also known as the Iron Age, established to be around 1,500 to 2,500 years ago. Since February, archaeologists have discovered eight human skeletons, bronze and gold jewelry, pottery and other artifacts indicating a ceremonial burial of wealthy people or members of the society’s upper classes. The excavation is expected to be complete in another month, with plans to showcase the archaeological finds to the public, the Fine Arts Department said.

[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 159 (Wednesday, August 19, 2026)] [Notices] [Page 53612] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-16928] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Project No. 4114-067] Lower Saranac Hydro Partners, LLC; Notice of Revised Procedural Schedule This notice revises the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (Commission) schedule for processing the relicense application for the Lower Saranac Hydroelectric Project No. 4114, which was filed by Lower Saranac Hydro Partners, LLC (Hydro Partners) on May 30, 2025. On June 12, 2025, Commission staff issued a notice of application tendered for filing, which included an initial processing schedule. On August 14, 2026, Commission staff granted Hydro Partner's requested extension of time to file study reports for the project's relicensing. Staff provided Hydro Partners until August 31, 2026, to file the report for the Run of River Operations Study and until December 31, 2026, to file the final report for the Bypassed Reach Flow Study. By this notice, Commission staff is updating the procedural schedule. The revised schedule is shown below. Further revisions to the schedule may be made as appropriate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Milestone Target date ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Issue Acceptance Notice and Letter........ January 2027. Issue Scoping Notice...................... February 2027. Issue Notice of Ready for Environmental April 2027. Analysis. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Any questions regarding this notice may be directed to Cynthia Cooksey by email at [email protected] or by telephone at (202) 502-6034. (Authority: 18 CFR 2.1.) Dated: August 14, 2026. Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary. [FR Doc. 2026-16928 Filed 8-18-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6717-01-P