Found burial trunk in the cave in Thai Nguyen

In November 2011, during the Archaeological Survey - Ethnology in Dinh Hoa Thai Nguyen district, researchers at the Vietnam Institute of Archeology and Thai Nguyen Teachers University discovered a cave monument. contains a hollowed-out tree trunk, buried in a cave in the territory of Ta Ngoai village, Phuong Tien commune.

The coffin with hollow tree trunk was found in a niche at the cave at a height of 600m above the valley at the foot of the mountain, the cave floor was as deep as a large well with a depth of 20m.

The coffin was hewn from a large wooden trunk. Based on the traces of machining left to show, the ancients had separated the wooden trunks vertically, forming two sheets with a semicircular shape quite evenly. Next, they cut the inside of two wooden panels concave in the shape of the trough. At the two ends of the coffin, it is carefully cut to create a rectangular corner with a big hole, which can be used to lock two parts of the coffin tightly together, and also to tie the rope and carry the coffin. The whole coffin only sees marks and chisels, there are no traces of sawing, planing .

A scientist is surveying the grave

Regarding the casket size, the whole length is 2.80m; 2.20m long hole, width 0.40m wide, depth of 0, 20m deep. Diameter 0.54m.

The coffin is placed in a narrow niche in the east-west direction, in a high position about 0.80m away from the cave floor, people can go through easily. Currently the upper lid of the coffin has been opened. The bottom plate of the coffin, where the large body of the deceased dead body was placed vertically along the wooden plate, caused the human bones and allied goods to fall to the cave floor.

At the time of excavation, the bottom of the cave was a small piece of skull and broken pieces of bone. There are 2 bowls found near the position of some skull pieces including 1 high leg bowl, the bottom is colored reddish brown, the bowl is decorated with blue flowers with lotus petals, bowls are crushed at the bottom, in the middle The bowl has the word Phuc written in Chinese characters.

Two bowls found in the grave

According to archaeologists, this is a bowl dating back to the 15th century belonging to Chu Dau ceramic line, Hai Duong province. The other bowl, white low-enameled leg has no pattern. Both bowls have a break in the mouth. There were signs of previously destroyed tomb relics for the purpose of obtaining burial items.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nang Nang Chung, the leader of the survey team, said that this is the first time to find the type of coffin relic by trunk, burial in the cave in the mountain area of ​​Viet Bac. This type of relic, we have known in Quan Son, Quan Hoa (Thanh Hoa) and Moc Chau (Son La). Scientists are planning to study this area for a long time.