Sri Ksetra Kingdom

Sri Ksetra is an ancient Pyu urban complex near the modern city of Pyay in Myanmar and was one of the principal Pyu city-states of early historic Burma, flourishing from the first millennium CE.

The site contains extensive earthen mounds, brick stupas and urban remains that illustrate early Buddhist urbanism across several square kilometers. Archaeological features include large burial mounds, brick temple foundations and evidence of long-distance trade and craft production.

Sri Ksetra developed from the early centuries CE and reached prominence between roughly the 5th and 9th centuries, serving as a political and religious center for the Pyu people before decline and eventual abandonment. Excavations in the 20th and 21st centuries have recovered ceramics, inscriptions and funerary remains.

Geographically the complex lies on the Irrawaddy river plain near modern Pyay in Bago Region, on the east bank of the river and within reach of the town that now provides access and services for visitors.

• UNESCO status: Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its testimony to the Pyu city-states and early urbanization in mainland Southeast Asia.
• What to expect: Excavation areas are spread out and many features are visible as low mounds and brick ruins rather than intact standing buildings.

What to See #

• City mounds: A dispersed complex of large earthen mounds, brick ruins and burial sites that mark the boundaries of the ancient city and its suburbs across many hectares.
• Religious structures: Brick stupas, temple foundations and fragments of Buddhist sculpture and terracotta found across excavated areas, many dating to the early medieval period.
• Defensive works: Remains of defensive earthworks and moats that once enclosed parts of the city, visible as linear embankments and trench features in the archaeological landscape.