Archaeological excavation of the area between tower K and the central tower group of My Son

The My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board announced that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has issued Decision No. 2104/QD-BVHTTDL allowing the Board to cooperate with the Institute of Archaeology to conduct archaeological exploration and excavation in the area between Tower K and the central group of towers in the My Son Temple Complex (formerly Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, now Thu Bon commune, Da Nang city). The exploration and excavation period is from June 30 to November 30, 2025.

Archaeological excavation in the area between Tower K and the central group of towers in My Son - image 1

Tourists visiting the My Son Sanctuary

According to the decision, the exploration and excavation area is 770 m² ^. Specifically, the exploration area is 20 ^m² (consisting of 5 pits x 4 ^m² /pit, from pit TD1 to pit TD5); the excavation area is 750 ^m² (consisting of 5 pits x 150 ^m² /pit).

During archaeological exploration and excavation, licensed agencies must pay attention to protecting the stratigraphy of the site; they are responsible for educating the public about protecting local cultural heritage, and must not publish official conclusions without the agreement of the managing agency and the Department of Cultural Heritage.

The artifacts collected during archaeological exploration and excavation are the responsibility of the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board, under the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, to preserve and protect them, preventing damage or loss, and to report to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism on plans for protecting and promoting the value of these artifacts.

After the completion of the archaeological survey and excavation, the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board and the Institute of Archaeology must submit a preliminary report and proposed plan for managing and protecting the excavated area within one month at the latest, and a scientific report within one year at the latest, to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Before announcing the results of the archaeological survey and excavation, the licensed agencies must consult and reach an agreement with the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Archaeological excavation in the area between Tower K and the central group of towers in My Son - photo 2

My Son K Tower

As previously reported by Văn Hóa , the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also issued a decision allowing the My Son Cultural Heritage Management Board to cooperate with the Institute of Archaeology to conduct exploratory excavations of an area of ^20m² around Tower K (in 2023); and archaeological exploration and excavation of 220m² ⁱⁿ the area east of Tower K to clarify a section of the architectural path leading from Tower K to the center of My Son Sanctuary (in 2024).

Based on the survey and excavation results from 2023 and 2024, it has been possible to definitively determine the structure of the road leading from Tower K to the dry stream area to the east - approximately 150m from Tower K.

Archaeological excavation in the area between Tower K and the central group of towers in My Son - photo 3

Previous archaeological excavations have uncovered a pathway structure leading from Tower K towards the center of the My Son sanctuary.

According to experts, this is a sacred road – a path leading deities, kings, and Brahmin priests into the sacred space of the My Son Sanctuary in the 12th century, which is being discovered for the first time by domestic and international archaeological and historical researchers.

Research conducted in the area around Tower K during two surveys in 2023 and 2024 has revealed traces of architectural structures previously unknown in the history of My Son.

From this, several scientific issues arose that need further resolution, including three key issues: Firstly, it is necessary to clarify the scale, structure, and appearance of the entire road within the overall context of the My Son historical site.

Secondly, related to Tower K and the access road to the My Son central area is a site of temple and tower ruins discovered during an exploratory excavation in 2018 in the open space in front of the Twin Houses. According to local legend, a watchtower once stood guarding the front of the My Son Sanctuary.

Thirdly, the road's age has been preliminarily determined to be around the 12th century, equivalent to the age of Tower K. However, according to surviving inscriptions, the towers at My Son were built from the 5th century; the earliest remaining architectural trace is Tower F1, dating from the late 8th century. Therefore, is it possible to find traces of a road leading to the My Son Sanctuary before the 12th century?

Therefore, the Institute of Archaeology proposed a plan for continued excavation and research to clarify the scale, structure, and appearance of the sacred road, bringing this relic from the depths of My Son to light so that domestic and international tourists, and those interested in Champa cultural heritage in general and My Son in particular, can have a more thorough understanding of the relic.

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