Ancient ‘Royal Water Palace’ Hidden Beneath Layers of Soil Emerged When a 7.7-Magnitude Earthquake Split the Ground

On March 28, 2025, the ground beneath central Myanmar trembled with utmost fury. A 7.7 magnitude earthquake jolted the region, sending tremors rippling as far as Bangkok, over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away, stated BBC. Buildings swayed, lives were lost, and questions were posed across Southeast Asia—what caused this gigantic geological force, and how could it topple a high-rise under construction so far from its epicenter? The earthquake was not just another natural disaster, it was a collision that toppled structures and revealed centuries-old secrets buried beneath the earth.

However, in the Tada-U Township of Myanmar, the earthquake did more than wreak havoc—it tore open the ground and unraveled a long-lost relic, possibly from the Konbaung Dynasty (1752 to 1885), according to Popular Mechanics. What was once thought to be just another staircase, discovered during brick baking in 2009, now indicates something more mysterious. The Konbaung Dynasty, aka the Third Burmese Empire, was unfortunately the very last dynasty to rule Burma. The dynasty was pushed off the throne by the British. 

Thanks to a deep fissure created by the quake, archaeologists now see handrails, an 18-inch riser step, and detailed brick platforms, features previously shrouded below the layers of soil. While some believe this structure may be part of a royal ‘water palace’ described in Minister Letwe Nawrahta's (a senior noble in the time of King Hsinbyushin and the King of Sagaing) ancient palm-leaf manuscripts, known as “Pura-pike," others indicate it could be a wooden monastery residence.

Resembling the architectural styles of Mandalay’s Inwa Varkara and Shwenandaw Monasteries, the site could stretch over 200-250 feet long and 200 feet wide. Minister Letwe Nawrahta's (a senior noble) palm-leaf manuscripts describe huge staircases and 18 to 20 dormitories shaded by mango trees, linking the site directly to royal and religious importance. Moreover, it is also associated with royal rituals such as the Thingyan Water Festival, which had its significance back then in the Konbaung court.

Dr. Rebecca Bell, tectonics expert at Imperial College London, remarked, "The straight nature [of the fault] means earthquakes can rupture over large areas - and the larger the area of the fault that slips, the larger the earthquake…There have been six magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes in this region in the last century," stated the BBC.

Myanmar is nestled on a volatile geological crossroads—right at the meeting point of the Indian, Eurasian, Sunda, and Burma microplates. The epicenter of this earthquake aligns with the notorious Sagaing Fault, a 1,200-kilometer strike-slip fault that slices through Myanmar from north to south. In this case, it was not just size, it was speed. It is believed to be a rare event, where the rupture in Earth’s crust paced way faster than seismic waves themselves.

Professor Amorn Pimarnmas, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Thailand, said, "However, there are other assumptions such as material (concrete and reinforcements) quality and some irregularity in the structural system. These remain to be investigated in detail," stated BBC.

This is why Thailand's capital, Bangkok, despite its distance, felt the brunt. The rupture directed its pent-up energy southward toward Thailand’s capital. And there, on Bangkok’s soft, vibration-amplifying soil, a modern high-rise under construction in the Chatuchak district crumbled. Dr. Christian Málaga-Chuquitaype, a senior lecturer in earthquake engineering at Imperial College London, remarked, "Imagine a table supported only by legs, with no extra horizontal supports underneath…While this design has cost and architectural advantages, it performs poorly during earthquakes, often failing in a brittle and sudden (almost explosive) manner." Experts now suggest that poor structural design, possibly using ‘flat slab’ construction, played a major role. From Myanmar’s floodplains to Bangkok’s skyscrapers, the 7.7 earthquake revealed just how deep the damage can run.