The imprint of the land as seen through national treasures.

Animal-shaped agates found at the Lai Nghi burial site have been recognized as national treasures. Photo: Quang Nam Museum

Among the 33 national treasures recognized by the Prime Minister in the final phase of 2024, four are from Quang Nam province. Of these, two national treasures, currently housed at the Quang Nam Museum, date from the 3rd century BC to the mid-1st century AD.

Original, unique artifacts

At the Quang Nam Museum, the collection of gold jewelry from the Sa Huynh culture at the Lai Nghi burial site (Dien Nam Dong ward, Dien Ban town) consists of 108 intact artifacts, divided into two groups, and is preserved there.

According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hong, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, these are original, unique artifacts discovered at the Lai Nghi burial site through archaeological excavations. They possess an intact cultural layer and have been dated using various methods. The artifacts are unique in their form, typical, and possess significant historical and cultural value, thus meeting the criteria for recognition as national treasures.

Meanwhile, the two bronze artifacts, a bronze drum and a bronze jar, owned by Mr. Luong Hoang Long (residing in Hoi An City), were both assessed to date back to the Dong Son Culture (4th-3rd centuries BC to 1st-2nd centuries AD).

The Dong Son bronze drum has a face diameter of 49.5cm, a height of 35.5cm, and a base diameter of 56cm. It is essentially intact. Through the carvings on the drum, we learn for the first time about a mythical creature created by the ancient Vietnamese that is quite similar to the ancient Egyptian art depicted in the famous sphinx (human head, lion body).

The Dong Son artisans' carvings of mythical creatures are equally surreal: they possess both the shaggy body and tail of a weasel, as well as a bird-like beak and deer antlers. They also depict in detail the rituals of sacrificing cattle and humans, perhaps to appease the river god. Several other vivid patterns contribute to reflecting the cultural, spiritual, and religious life of the ancient Vietnamese people.

The Dong Son bronze jar is cylindrical in shape and has a lid. The jar has an overall height (including the lid) of 58cm, a mouth diameter of 39cm, and a base diameter of 35.5cm.

This is a uniquely shaped, well-preserved Dong Son bronze jar, featuring patterns never before seen by archaeologists, ranging from a sash pattern, a peacock standing on the back of a turtle, a person sitting on a bronze drum playing a drum made of animal hide, a sacrificial victim imprisoned in a chamber or with their hair pulled in preparation for sacrifice, and four sculpted figures of four hunting dogs on the lid of the jar.

Conveying the essence of the land.

Regarding the two treasures, the bronze drum and the bronze jar, the leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated that these artifacts are of high value in the study of Dong Son culture, contributing to the reconstruction of the ancient history of the country, from the economic and social life to the spiritual life of our ancestors.

The Dong Son bronze drum, a treasure, is owned by Mr. Luong Hoang Long.

This is also a product of great intellect, demonstrating the rare creativity, skill, and sophistication of our ancestors with their indigenous bronze metallurgy techniques – a bronze culture that is among the best in Southeast Asia. This also helps to affirm that the Dong Son people's level of civilization was quite high compared to other Southeast Asian inhabitants of the time.

Thus, to date, Quang Nam province has 7 individual national treasures and a collection of gold jewelry at the Lai Nghi burial site.

For the Quang Nam Museum, the presence of national treasures creates a significant attraction, boosting promotion and increasing visitor numbers, as well as attracting attention from state agencies regarding funding for preservation, research, and exhibition. This is also a valuable source of information for organizing community education activities, scientific research, and cultural events.

Mr. Tran Van Duc, Deputy Director in charge of the Quang Nam Museum, said that in the coming time, the museum will implement digital technology applications to protect and promote the value of treasures such as 3D scanning, digitizing artifacts, organizing direct and online exhibitions, and further promoting and publicizing the value of these artifacts through mass media and social networks. In addition, the Quang Nam Museum will continue to build dossiers for the bronze and iron burial artifacts discovered in the Lai Nghi area.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dau-an-vung-dat-nhin-tu-bao-vat-quoc-gia-3147444.html