Decode huge ancient tombs of 2000 year old stone

The researchers pleaded for the authority to show in the unique architecture of the tomb, but its mysteries are yet to be discovered.

Archaeological vestige of Hang Gon (Long Khanh, Dong Nai) was discovered by French archaeologist J. Bouchot in 1927, during the process of construction and construction of a road linking Long Khanh and Dong Nai with Ba Ria - Vung. Ships, the French accidentally discovered the ancient tomb buried underground through many discoveries of time.

Hang Gon tomb is not only an ancient tomb

Archaeologist J. Bouchot said that he conducted excavations and went into the Biomagnetic Research to begin giving the first explanations of the grandeur and authority shown through the structure.

Cu Thach Bi is located in the land of Mr. W. Baze plantation in Hang Gon (Long Khanh), excavated under the witness of archaeologist Blanchard de la Brosse.

Conclusion at that time, the French archaeologists identified this as an ancient grave with giant stones between two rows of 12 tall stone pillars. During the excavation process, only the inside of the entire earthen tomb of solid red clay was found, therefore, archaeologists deduced that this was the corpse that existed for centuries, having dissipated much of the land through gaps. retreat to the grave.

Mr. Pham Van Binh, an archaeological expert in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the relic of Hang Gon tomb is located on a relatively flat basalt soil, with an altitude of 250m above sea level. Hang Gon area has rocky mountains or plateau hills that are craters. The surrounding areas are also archaeological sites, which have discovered many old stone tools, 600 - 300 thousand years ago.

Noting at the site of the ancient burial site, PV noticed differences from the previously published relics research. Accordingly, stone pillars of up to 11cm in height and 7m in height are arranged into 2 vertical rows, which are now lowered into stone formations that have been lowered.

In addition, there are large stone blocks, many fragments from the pillars, stone blocks. The center of the newly renovated relic is a rectangular box-shaped stone vest made of 5 marble plates, size 4.2 x 2.7 x 1.6m.

Murong Tomb

However, J.Bouchot's research, the first to conduct research on grave neck shows: Cu Thach Tomb has an architecture consisting of two rows of pillars surrounding the tomb. A total of 10 pillars, 8 pillars are made from sandstone or sandstone (grès) or basalt (basalte), 2.5 - 3m high, cross-section oval, one end has a saddle shaped saddle.

The other two pillars are made of granite (granite), 7.2m long, rectangular section, 1.1m wide and 0.35m thick. The lower end has a bulge on both sides. The top also has dents. The central architecture is a rectangular box-shaped tomb, which is assembled with 6 marble slabs, size 4.2 x 2.7 x 1,6m.

Catacombs have dimensions of 4.5 x 2.0 x 1.5m, located in the East - West direction. The above stone pillars also have different sizes and lengths. Accordingly, the average stone pillars are from 0.25m to 5m high. Highest column up to 7.5m.

Assoc. Nguyen Lan Cuong, chairman of the Former Association of Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences officials, said the research and recognition of the researchers on the number and location of stone pillars in the tomb area also differed.

According to J.Bouchot archaeologist, Cu Thach Tomb has an architecture consisting of 2 rows of pillars surrounding the tomb and the number of stone pillars identified is 10 pillars. However, in Parmentier H. notes that the tomb consists of 12 stone pillars.

Meanwhile, the survey in two years 2006 - 2007 showed that on the crater, about 11m from the grave to the south, there are 10 other stone pillars. In total, according to statistics of archaeologist Luu Anh Tuyet, there are 27 stone pillars left on the scene.

The mystery has no solution

Mr. Pham Van Binh, an archaeological expert in Ho Chi Minh City, said: "The discovery of a huge boulder grave of large area attracted hundreds of domestic and foreign archaeologists with many merits. different discovery process ".

Accordingly, before 1975, large scale studies were conducted by French archaeologists such as Parmentier H., Gaspardone E., Malleret L., Saurin Ed., Fontaine H. Since 1975, many researchers from the former Soviet Union, Germany, Bulgaria, the US, Japan, China, and Korea have visited the study with the desire to decipher the unexplained mystery in the area. This ancient tomb.

According to Mr. Pham Van Binh, questions such as: Who does this magnificent stone grave belong to? How can ancient people with manual labor build graves with stone slabs? Stone pillars weigh dozens of tons, what are the functions of stone pillars lined up along the sides of the vest? All of those questions have not been satisfactorily explained so far.

One of the first explanations about the function of the giant stone tomb was introduced by archaeologist Parmentier H. after his research.

Accordingly, Parmentier H. identified the tomb as a mass grave. The grave lid can be opened to receive more deceased or cremated ashes. The stone pillars around the vest were also thought by the researcher to be used as support for the pulley system or zippers to lift the grave lid.

Dong Nai province's famous monuments management board and the Archaeological Center under the Institute of Social Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City said that after the research process, this unit discovered and collected many new artifacts. One of them is pottery.

The results of lithological analysis with 5 ceramic samples are collected here, the above conclusion: Most of the pottery collected inside the precinct, around Cu Thach grave area may be pottery with ritual function, is worship, broken or smashed. They include small jars, small jars, bowls, cups with bases and are usually very thin.

Accordingly, the study of pottery excavation in 2007 has allowed to visualize somewhat the general picture of Cu Thach grave. On the site of the main burial site, pottery found in this area is related to the organization of rituals and worship here.

The area outside the grave site, the researchers also obtained various types of living utensils buried by the dead. Most pottery is hand-made, quite beautiful, has a fairly high level, the material is suitable for the use function of each type of container.

Also according to the record of Dong Nai tourism management board, the collection of two imprisoned and bronze artifacts in the 2006 detective shows that they are related to the discovery of weapons through the Long Giao copper and Hang Gon about 5km in the sense of being a weapon combination of warriors.

Thus, the owner of Cu Thach grave is a powerful leader of a community of people (tribes or alliance of tribes) that is not only economically powerful and strong enough to build a tomb. Xiehu is majestic, but also very proficient in military career.

However, the question of how the human being claimed to live more than 150 BC until 240 BC can successfully manipulate the giant stone pillars, marble tiles and the function of What are the pillars above are still in mystery.

Explaining the above question, experts of the Museum of Anthropology in the South said: During the excavation in 1996, Pham Duc Manh mentioned a stone processing factory next to Cu Thach tomb. In the area of ​​stone processing workshops, in addition to seemingly unused used knit and pillars, it is now scattered with stone scraps and pieces and labor tools.

However, the amount of scrap stone is not much, indicating that the ancients had prepared preliminary stone plates at distant mines and transported to Hang Gon to continue processing, creating knitting plates and stone columns suitable for architecture. Tomb. Accordingly, by some transport with the mysterious craft stages, prehistoric people have created knitting sheets, stone pillars weighing tens of tons and forming a spectacular burial area with liver and moon until today.

Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Lan Cuong said: "The excavation of an ancient tomb of archaeological relics is very difficult and complicated. These difficulties come from belief barriers, many locals where the ancient tombs exist. They often have a reluctant attitude and oppose the excavation of the grave, believing that it will stir up the spirit and the life of the locals with many turbulent times. almost died of being hit by bombs.

Today, that fear is not much, but it still encounters other barriers, especially touching people's beliefs. When hiring people to excavate excavated relics, they are digging workers to discover the tomb and then leave the tools without digging. Renting vehicles, boats carrying the artifacts are half-thrown down, and eaten and arrested. "

Archaeological experts of the Archaeological Center of the Institute of Social Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City said: "Hang Gon ancient tomb with strange architecture, separate layout and construction, shows a big part. the life of the ancient Vietnamese, especially it may be the resting place of an influential leader in ancient tribes.

With a date dating back to about 150 BC to 240 AD, archaeological relics of Cu Thach Hang Gon tomb are truly a treasure trove of historical and cultural elements of the ancients.

In the culture of peoples in our country, when people die, people really reunite with ancestors and grandparents, resting place is focused and carefully invested to show the respect of origin. The tombs were excavated carrying many different architectures, each one looks but together still proves the long tradition of the peoples living together on the S-shaped land. "

According to Dong Nai province's famous monument management board, finding ancient tombs not only digs, separates archaeological relics from the ground through which humans decipher historical culture from stone slabs and pieces of wood. From the giant stones found at the ancient tomb of Hang Gon, the researchers proved the high solidarity of the ancient Vietnamese, the sense of responsibility as well as the wise creation of people.

The problem of archaeologists finding out the number of workers, the days of work to build up so Cu Thach Bi still has no results. But the value of Cu Thach Hang Gon grave is very much reflected in the scale, creativity and continuous labor of those who built. The Shale Bi is a relic that contributes to clarify many things about the civilization of the Dong Nai river basin.

Currently, archaeological relics of Cu Thach Hang Gon tomb are being renovated and renovated on an area of ​​about 4 hectares based on the existing basis of the excavations.