From April 26 to May 7, experts from the Ben Tre Museum and theUniversity of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh Cityunearthed a tomb and a smaller one perpendicular to it at Cho Lach townin the district of the same name.
According to Assoc. Prof. Pham Duc Manh, dean of the school’s Faculty ofArchaeology, the tombs might date back to the late 18th or the early19th century. They embody features of those built for aristocrats underthe Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945).
The bigger tomb was built in the form of a traditional house, while the other is similar to a small temple, he said.
Notably, they were built from a mixture of substances, includingshell, sand and, especially, sap extracted from “o duoc” trees (Linderamyrrha) – which is said to help structures endure.
The corpses, including one of a child, were buried directly underground with the depth of up to 275 cm.
This is the first time Vietnamese experts have discovered a whole tombmade from such a mixture reserved for a child, Manh noted.-VNA