The wooden burial jar is the first of its kind to be discovered in the archaeological history of Vietnam and the world. (Photo: VNA) Binh Duong (VNA) – The southern province of Binh Duong on April 24 held an exhibition on archaeology and announced the Prime Minister’s decision to recognise the Phu Chanh wooden burial jar with a bronze drum served as cover as a national treasure.
The object dating back to the second to the first century BC (nearly 2,000 years ago) was excavated in Phu Chanh commune, Tan Uyen town, in 1998.
This is a new type of tomb, the first to be discovered in the archaeological history of Vietnam and the world.
The use of a wooden jar covered by a bronze drum as a coffin is a new piece of information while studying the lifestyles of ancient resident communities in the south-eastern region, Tien said.
The wooden burial jar is about 61cm high with its mouth at a diameter of 46-50cm.
The bronze drum is close to 40cm high with a drumhead diameter of 47.5cm and base diameter of 44cm.
The concentric drumhead has a 10-point star and it is simply decorated with inverted “v” shaped patterns.
So far, six archaeological sites have been excavated in Binh Duong, mainly in the areas of Tan Uyen town and Bac Tan Uyen district.
The Binh Duong Museum is preserving over 100,000 archaeological objects.
According to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Thanh Phong, the pre-archaeological research over the past 30 years showed that this land experienced at least four periods of development for thousands of years.
Through the artefacts found at the local archaeological sites, scientists have clarified the historical progress of generations of inhabitants in the ancient land of Binh Duong, and the presence of a society with stable development and trades like cultivation, metallurgy, copper casting, spinning, weaving, pottery, and crafting.-VNA
VNA
