Rare archaeological site of the Bronze Age discovered in Vuon Chuoi

The archaeological excavation team has just announced many important discoveries related to the Bronze Age at the Vuon Chuoi archaeological site (Lai Xa village, Kim Chung commune, Hoai Duc district, Hanoi).

According to Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy, an officer of the Institute of Archaeology, the excavation to the west of Vuon Chuoi Site was carried out on a total area of ​​6,000m2 ^. Many pits were excavated, each pit had an area of ​​about 100m2 and initially had important discoveries.

'First of all, the research team discovered the pre-Dong Son residential area . The site is located at the highest point of Vuon Chuoi mound, with a basin-shaped structure with the outer edge about 0.5m higher than the inside. Initial assessment is that the ancients took advantage of the positive terrain - natural mounds as well as the negative terrain at the foot of the mound, between the mounds and had broken through the surrounding area. From there, they created a residential area inside, along with a protective moat about 10m wide and about 2.5-3m deep surrounding the outside ,' said Mr. Quy.

Archaeologists at the Vuon Chuoi site. (Photo: Institute of Archaeology).

As can be seen with the naked eye, the earth is a yellowish-brown clay that is easily found on natural mounds in this area. Inside the site are traces of pre-Dong Son cultural stages . The outer slope is where the dead are buried. In the northwest corner, the burial density is very high, forming a pre-Dong Son burial ground with at least two stages of dissection.

'This discovery is very important in the history of research on the Bronze Age in Northern Vietnam, helping us gain a better understanding of how to handle residential spaces to cope with dangers from the natural environment as well as ancient society. At the same time, the construction of such a large-scale project also partly reflects a society with a fairly high level of organization and division of labor ,' said Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Quy.

Funerary objects in early Dong Son tombs. (Photo: Institute of Archaeology).

Mr. Quy said the excavation of the Vuon Chuoi site is almost finished but the preservation is very slow.

Since 2019, the Institute of Archaeology and related units have prepared a dossier to submit to the relevant departments and agencies, but up to now, the eastern part of the Vuon Chuoi site (the part allowed to be retained) has only been recorded in the list of inventoried relics.

While at the same level of rare value, Dong Dau archaeological site has been ranked as a special national monument.

Archaeologists wonder "for some reason" why the ranking of this site is so slow.

A representative of the Hanoi Museum said that right after the workshop, the museum's Heritage Management Department will work with the Department of Culture of Hoai Duc district to guide the procedures and processes for the application for relic ranking for the Vuon Chuoi site.

The Chairman of the People's Committee of Hoai Duc district pledged to work with scientists and competent authorities of the city to soon complete the excavation and at the same time preserve the Vuon Chuoi site.