Detecting a thousand-year grave population of Sa Huynh residents

The burial site was discovered by archaeologists in Tre village, Tra Tho commune, Tay Tra district (Quang Ngai), about 5 km from the old excavation site in the Tang river valley.

At the end of the first phase of archaeological excavation in Tra Xinh commune at the end of March, archaeological experts expanded the excavation scope in the Tang river valley to discover more large-scale burial populations of Sa Huynh residents. old. Many burial tombs were discovered about a meter away from the ground, 2-5 m from the edge of the Tang River.

Dr. Doan Ngoc Khoi, official of the Quang Ngai General Museum, said: ' The burial site is more than 2,000 years old, lying close to the mudflats .' According to Dr. Khoi, the residence has a cultural floor with The density of ceramic is quite dense, it is likely that the burial number of Sa Huynh inhabitants is more than the archaeological excavation site of Tra Veo 2 village, Tra Veo 3, Tra Xinh commune before that. There are many burial sites because of the mudflats near the river, the ideal residence conditions for Sa Huynh residents in prehistoric times to live crowded.

Picture 1 of Detecting a thousand-year grave population of Sa Huynh residents
The burial area of ​​the old Sa Huynh inhabitants has just been excavated in Quang Ngai.Photo: Tri Tin

The excavation of archaeological sites in this area is under pressure of time . Earlier, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism allowed archaeological excavations in the valley of the Tang River to end. However, on March 30, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development sent a document to the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province to urge the release of the Nuoc Trong reservoir to begin blocking this work on April 5. Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism proposed that the province have an opinion with the Ministry of Agriculture to suspend the flow prevention period to ensure the area of ​​archaeological excavation in the reservoir area in accordance with the original plan. .

' If the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development decides to start blocking the flow from April 5, then archaeological excavations in Tre village cannot be timely. When the water rises, it will flood the entire ruins, relics have been discovered and excavated in the new location , 'said Dr. Khoi.

After two months of archaeological excavation of phase 1 in Tang river valley in Tra Veo 2 village, Tra Veo 3, Tra Xinh commune, Tay Tra district, archaeologists have discovered nearly 20 tombs and burial graves. and the grave tomb is dated as early as 4,000 years, no later than 2,000 years later . Artifacts are found including stone tools such as: blade grinding axes, buffalo teeth grinding, grinding tables, chipped tools ., in which artifacts date up to 10,000 years. In addition, there are iron objects including knives, chisels, spears .; Sa Huynh cultural jewelry such as two-headed animal earrings found in burial sites; Pottery types: bowl, vase, jar, jar . dating back more than 2,000 years.