Detecting bronze drums in Bac Can

The discovery of Dong Son drums in Khau Bang village, Bang Thanh - a highland commune in Pac Nam district (Bac Can) surprised some domestic and international scientists , posing many assumptions about the human face as well as the fluctuations of historical-cultural life in this land in ancient times.

After the re-establishment of Bac Can province (in 1997), Thai Nguyen Provincial Museum handed over to Bac Can culture sector some historical objects, including a bronze drum. The documents attached to this artifact are incomplete, the little information is that this artifact was discovered in Nong Ha commune, Cho Moi district.

In November 2012, while constructing inter-village roads through the territory of Khau Bang village, Bang Thanh commune, workers of Road 17 Joint Stock Company discovered a bronze drum. According to the description, this artifact is lying on its back, at a depth of about a meter on a low hillside near a small gap. After being discovered, antiques have been handed over to Bac Can Museum for preservation, display and research by all levels and branches.

Bronze drums were discovered in the highlands of Pac Nam district, currently on display in Bac Can Provincial Museum.

Although the pattern on the drum surface is not as sharp and clear as the co-found drum in Nong Ha commune, but the bronze drum discovered by Khau Bang retains its relative shape. The drum has a symmetrical shape, a cylindrical back, a slightly flared conical leg has been broken in the lower part, with the remaining height measuring 39cm, a drum diameter of 66.5cm, traces of wear due to the impact of drumstick at heart.

The motifs are no longer sharp, but still observe the floating star shape 12 wings in the middle of the blank face, from the center of the drum surface out there are 16 concentric circular pattern circles interspersed with some other patterns such as human figures. stylized feather jewelry . The empty body is broken by a large array. The drum is also beautifully decorated with many pattern-like bands on the drum.

The empty leg is broken in many places, decorated with 4 parallel etched patterned tape patterns and V-shaped cage. The drum has 4 straps, arranged in pairs, decorated with rope patterns.

According to researchers at the Institute of Archeology, the bronze drum discovered in Khau Bang has many characteristics of the Dong Son bronze drum late. The drum has many similar characteristics as the drums of Hich (Thai Nguyen), Na Duong drum (Lang Son), and Ha Giang drum. The patterns shown on the drum are created by quite skillful casting techniques.

Mr. Hoang Van Hanh, officer of Bac Can Provincial Museum said: When attending a seminar in Kazakhstan, international scientists were surprised and interesting when being introduced to discover Dong Son bronze drum late at Pac Nam - a highland district about 100 km northwest of Bac Can town to the northwest. This raises many assumptions about the movement, development, exchanges and cultural inheritance among ethnic groups in the plains and mountainous areas since ancient times.

In Pac Nam district, there are also information that people find some artifacts such as copper arrows and copper axes . However, officials of Bac Can Provincial Museum have not been able to access to verify and study specifically. It can be said that Dong Son bronze drum found at Pac Nam is a precious artifact for scientists to study the history and culture of Bac Can land thousands of years ago.