Discovering treasures more than 3,000 years old in Quang Ninh

While going to Dau Tam Mountain to exploit stone, local people discovered a ceramic vase in a stone niche.

Last 2018, pottery First Full Moon , also known as ceramic Hoang Tan Prime Minister recognized as national treasures. The artifact is on display at the Museum of Quang Ninh Province, which is dated to Phung Nguyen culture dating back to 3,000 years ago.

The head of a ceramic pot was discovered in January 1998. On one stone quarrying trip, Mr. Tran Quang Thuy, a stonemason in hamlet 1, Hoang Tan commune, Yen Hung district, now Quang Yen town, discovered a ceramic vase in a stone cavity of Dau Mot mountain, near adjacent to the small Dau Tam mountain. Mr. Thuy kept it at home.

On March 6, 1998, when an expert from the Institute of Archeology researched the Head of the Ruins, an official of the Museum of Quang Ninh province discovered the ceramic vase at Mr. Thuy's house and collected it. From there, the pottery was kept at the Quang Ninh Provincial Museum under the name of the place where it was discovered.

A pot-tipped ceramic vase is on display at the Museum of Quang Ninh Province. (Photo: Minh Cuong).

The head of a ceramic pot weighs a kilogram, 25.3cm high, divided into three parts: mouth diameter 6.5cm, shoulder height 2.3cm; body height 16.2cm; Square flask base with 6.8cm per side size .

The pottery vase is still relatively intact, only partially torn, broken part of the mouth and base, are all parts without patterns. The whole body is dark red, retaining its shape and decoration.

According to the researchers, the bone is dark gray, made of fine clay and kneaded, mixed with mollusk crumbs. Because the soil and mollusk shells are mixed in the right proportions, the body of the pottery is almost not cracked, distorted.

Thin ceramic shirt, dark red, different from dark gray ceramic bone. Fine clay clay pottery, mixed with ocher powder, is then ground and filtered thoroughly, covered evenly on the surface by dipping technique, creating a thin coat.

The researchers said that the pottery is baked outdoors, there is no fixed furnace. Plumber arranges ceramic materials and burns. Fuel is usually small wood firewood, when burned to a high temperature of about 700-800 degrees Celsius but quickly fade. Because there is no furnace chamber, uneven heating creates different colors on the ceramic vase. This type of firing was popular in prehistoric times.

Near the mouth of the jar, there was a lost small hose, leaving a circular hole about 3cm in diameter. (Photo: Minh Cuong).

The head of the full-moon head used many techniques to shape the vase like a rolled strip, that is, the ceramic bone after being sculpted is shaped into a long, round band, joined to the shape, then stroked, brushed, formed into a shape. body average. To perform this technique, craftsmen must go around the pottery. The inside of the ceramic jar clearly shows traces of the strip technique.

The base of the ceramic jar has a round top (for attaching to the round body), a square on the bottom, consisting of 4 trapezoidal sides. It is made by using a beating table, smashing each piece, then attaching them to form a round upper base, flared out below the square.

In addition, the ancients also used mounting techniques to make pots. The whole vase is divided into 3 parts: mouth and shoulders, body, base. These three parts are made separately, then joined together. To make the parts connected to each other firmly, the potters added an additional seam about 0.5 cm high, pressed on the joint. This thread also forms a ceramic vase.

Traces mounted on the body and stand are made in the style of armor connectors. After attaching, the craftsman carefully applied to the joint and used the technique to press on the joint. This technique both creates a diagonal pattern and hardens the joint. It can be said that the technique of attaching the pottery has reached a high level, so the joints are difficult to detect, creating a feeling like the vessel is made seamlessly.

The head of the pottery is similar to a bamboo basket, decorated with a variety of patterns and tight layouts. Average body, base is divided into four sides, reflecting human perception of the surface. This is an important step towards awareness of the East, West, South and North.

The mouth and shoulders are round, with circular pattern lines, on the shoulders are decorated with a real pattern. This part also has spiritual meaning, worshiping the feminine (yin - moon), wishing for the proliferation and flourishing of people.

The body of the vase is decorated with engraved patterns, added patterns and the S-shaped pattern. This part worships nature such as the moon, sun, lightning, rain and wind .

According to Kieu Dinh Son, Director of Quang Ninh Museum, Dau Tam pottery is a noble item, used in rituals such as bowls and bowls of the Phung Nguyen people in ancestral lands and residents in the golden age. At the beginning of the full moon.

Up to now, among hundreds of prehistoric relics in Northern Vietnam, there has not been a single relic that discovered a pottery like the head of the Chin. 

The Top of the Full Moon relic was discovered and excavated in 1988 with hundreds of objects of scientific and historical value. This is a complex of relics of the metal age, a form of late Phung Nguyen - early Dong Dau culture and is typical of the history of residence and continuous development of Ha Long sea culture.

According to the conclusion of archaeologists, Dau Tam is the residence of ancient Vietnamese people, including 2 periods from 3,500-3,200 years and 2,500-2,000 years ago, corresponding to the Hung Vuong era in the early history. In addition, a number of other locations in the region also have cultural content similar to Dau Tam, such as the relics of Canh Che mountain, Cham Chot, Mo Chuong, Hang Son .