There is a My Son underground.

(QNO) - The tumultuous history of the My Son temple complex has not only left behind unique architectural works but also many valuable works of art and sculpture. This serves as evidence of a golden age of development for the ancient Champa kingdom in this region.

Linga-yoni pedestal discovered at tower A10 in My Son. Photo: My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board.

The findings

On July 24th, the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board sent a document to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism requesting that the unit proceed with the procedures to submit the My Son A10 Altar to relevant authorities for consideration and presentation to the Prime Minister for recognition as a national treasure.

This is just the latest development by the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board following the discovery of this altar in 2020 during the restoration project of tower group A (within the framework of the Conservation and Restoration Project of tower groups K, H, A, giai đoạn 2016 – 2021, funded by the Indian government ).

Along with the discovery of the national treasure Ekamukhalinga in 2012, the discovery of the My Son A10 altar once again proves the mysteries that still lie beneath the My Son valley and surrounding areas.

Mr. Nguyen Cong Khiet, Deputy Director of the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, believes that given the scale and significance of My Son, the hypothesis about the ancient Champa kingdom's treasures that were once present in history is entirely plausible. "This is a mystery that needs further research," Mr. Khiet said.

My Son still possesses many artifacts of high artistic and technical value. Photo: My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board.

In fact, each project at My Son has resulted in the discovery of artifacts of significant artistic and technical value.

While the conservation and restoration project of the G tower group (2003-2013) unearthed hundreds of terracotta artifacts such as Hamsa wood, animal heads, and decorative ears with inscriptions, the conservation project of the K, H, and A tower groups, after 5 years of implementation, not only successfully restored the relics, but also collected many artifacts such as lion statues, steles, and tower finials. Notably, the A10 altar (which had been mentioned by the French in the early 20th century) was rediscovered.

Unrevealed mystery

Of the 215 national treasures recognized by the Department of Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) from 2012 to the present, artifacts belonging to Champa culture account for approximately 29, most of which were discovered in the central provinces.

In Quang Nam province alone, approximately 9 national treasures related to Champa culture temples have been recognized, including: the Dong Duong Buddha statue, the Devi goddess statue, the Tara Bodhisattva statue, the My Son E1 altar, the Tra Kieu altar, the Ekamukhalinga, the Shiva head statue, the Dong Duong altar, and the Ganesha statue. Of these, 3 treasures originate from the My Son temple complex: the My Son E1 altar, the Ganesha statue, and the Ekamukhalinga.

While the My Son E1 altar and the Ganesha statue were discovered by the French in the early 20th century (1903), Ekamukhalinga was only discovered and recognized as a national treasure in January 2015.

After each conservation project, valuable artifacts are discovered at My Son. Photo: VL

According to researcher Le Dinh Phung – a member of the Vietnam Archaeological Society (formerly Associate Professor and Doctor of the Institute of Archaeology), the provincial People's Committee's proposal to recognize the My Son A10 altar as a national treasure is well-deserved and timely because it is not only a unique artifact but also possesses unique artistic and technical values ​​demonstrated in its fastening points, proving that the ancient Cham people worshipped precious metal artifacts as recorded in the My Son inscriptions, but these have been lost or misplaced due to war and social factors.

“The inscription at tower C7 (built in 617 AD) records that the Champa king covered the altars with gold, so we can definitively confirm the presence of precious metals at My Son. This was also proven during the French archaeological excavation of the tower (in 1902) when they discovered a set of gold decorations inside tower C7,” researcher Le Dinh Phung explained.

Notably, although some French documents mention the excavation of the My Son temples and towers, such as E1 and G1, the artifacts found were largely undisclosed, even though the sacred pits were often where valuable artifacts were kept.

According to researcher Le Dinh Phung's analysis, factors such as the artifacts (that have been found), the inscribed steles, and the technical traces on the artifacts prove that My Son once possessed many valuable historical artifacts that posterity is unaware of.

My Son still holds many undiscovered mysteries beneath its surface - Photo by VL

“The My Son A10 altar or Ekamukhalinga are just a few of the artistic masterpieces we have discovered at My Son. There are certainly many other precious artifacts, possibly made of precious metals, such as decorative items, jewelry, and even the gold mask of Ekamukhalinga… but they have yet to be found or accessed,” Mr. Le Dinh Phung shared.

According to French documents, by the early 20th century, the My Son historical site had approximately 70 temple and tower structures, dating from the 7th to the 13th centuries (the last structure built in My Son was tower B1, around 1226). However, due to the ravages of time and war, only about 30 temples and towers remain today (including those recently restored), most of which are not intact.

Since the 1980s, several conservation projects at My Son have been implemented, not only restoring and reinforcing the structures but also uncovering many valuable artifacts made of sandstone, terracotta, etc., with high artistic and technical value. The most notable are the Ekamukhalinga (discovered in 2012) and now the My Son A10 Altar. It is expected that the My Son A10 Altar will be recognized as a national treasure by the National Council for the Appraisal of Relics, Antiquities, and Treasures (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) at the end of 2021.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/co-mot-my-son-trong-long-dat-3066156.html