One of the two holes where the artefacts were found in Linh Son pagoda. (Source: VNA)An Giang (VNA) – About 20,000artefacts were unearthed in Linh Son pagoda, which is located within the Oc Eoarchaeological site in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang, between Augustand December 2017, according to an archaeologist.
Dr. Pham Van Trieu from the Institute of Archaeology under the Vietnam Academyof Social Sciences (VASS) said at a conference in An Giang province on January3 that the objects, including construction materials, household utensils andpieces of stones, were found in two holes, each measuring 300 sq.m.
Such artefacts may date back from the1st century BC to the 12th century AD, the archaeologistsaid.
He added the excavations also uncovered five layers of culture belonging to fiveperiods which lasted from the 2nd-12th century AD.
Dr. Le Dinh Phung, also from the institute, said that Oc Eo culture was formed2,000 years ago in the southwestern region.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan,President of the VASS, said Oc Eo culture was associated with the Phu NamKingdom, which flourished between thefirst and the seventh century.
Excavation findings reveal that Oc Eo-Ba The was an urban area and a bigeconomic-cultural centre of the Oc Eo-Phu Nam culture. Nen Chua was animportant port which handled exports and imports of the Oc Eo urban area andother localities in the Long Xuyen Quadrilateral Region in particular and the southwesternregion in general.
In 1944, French archaeologist LouisMallecet carried out excavations at the site, along with his colleagues fromthe French School of the Far East. They unearthed objects offering proof of aflourishing civilization and well-developed trade with other areas in SoutheastAsia.
People in the Phu Nam civilization produced manyhandicrafts, including ceramics, and had the ability to refine copper, iron andtin, along with creating silver and gold jewellery.-VNA
VNA
