Duong Long tower may be the place where Cham king was buried

Archaeologists have discovered many things that have never been known at Duong Long tower cluster (An Chanh village, Tay Binh commune, Tay Son district, Binh Dinh). They think that this place is most likely a burial place for a major character of the time.

Duong Long Tower.(Photo: famille.ne.jp)

Duong Long tower cluster was built around the second half of the 12th century, during the Champa Jaya Indravarmadeva era. Recently, officials of Binh Dinh General Museum have excavated the area around the base of this ancient tower. They discovered things that were never fully known about the architectural and sculptural art of ancient Cham towers.

Through excavation, the professionals obtained more than 1,000 artifacts including bas-reliefs, decorative valances and some ceramic pieces (not specifically classified). In particular, the archeology has revealed almost entirely the foundation with a large, solid pedestal; The unique carved surface has not been described in any document.

Most Cham towers in Binh Dinh have a relatively simple reinforced foundation, mainly of laterite, sand, and pebble. Meanwhile, in Duong Long tower cluster, the tower foundation is pre-treated, on the surface, with 4 layers of laterite, 7 layers of bricks are stacked on top of each other. Brackets surrounding the tower body of more than 20 meters in diameter are made of sandstone stacked together to form many floors, many fringing roofs carved with sophisticated and sophisticated patterns and animals.

Based on the status of the layout and connection, scientists believe that this cluster is most likely a burial place for a major character at the time. When referring to Duong Long tower, Dai Nam's most authoritative book wrote: " Phàm places that claim to be towers are all cremation places of the king and queen of Champa".

Another new finding: At the base of two auxiliary towers, many architectural parts, reliefs are still unfinished. According to Dr. Dinh Ba Hoa, deputy director of Binh Dinh General Museum, it is possible that when the tower cluster is under construction, the Champa king will encounter an incident, so he must stop; or completed construction for the first time, but the person who continues to modify the architecture.