The newly discovered ancient boat in Bac Ninh has two hulls, possibly dating back to the Ly - Tran dynasties.

The newly discovered ancient boat in Bac Ninh has a complex structure and technique. According to researchers, the boat is likely from the Ly - Tran dynasty.

Ancient boat excavation area near Luy Lau citadel, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh

Sophisticated boat building techniques discovered

On May 3, Mr. Nghiem Van Hach - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh province said that the department has just reported the initial results on the value, structure and construction techniques of the ancient boat discovered near Luy Lau citadel, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh recently.

Accordingly, after a period of urgent excavation, the ancient boat relic has revealed all traces to be able to identify the entire scale, structure, materials and manufacturing techniques of the boat.

"The boat remains consist of two intact blocks, located within the Dau River bed, perpendicular to the river flow (the boat lies in the East-West direction, the Dau River flows in the North-South direction) and deviated to the West compared to the Dau River remains that can still be identified in the current state. These two structural blocks are of similar scale, located 2.3 m apart (the closest position, in the middle)," the report stated.

Through excavation, experts determined that the ancient boat consisted of two intact blocks, 2.3 m apart and connected by a wooden board at the head. The two blocks were over 16 m long, 1.95 - 2.2 m wide and had a maximum depth of about 2.15 m.

Ancient boats in Bac Ninh are built entirely of wood, without using metal in the boat's structures and connections.

The bow of the boat has a T-shaped plank nearly 6.5 m long used to lock the two hulls together, while the stern has structures believed to be where the rudder was mounted.

Researchers determined that the bottom of the boat had a dugout structure made from a single tree trunk, with the widest diameter being nearly 1 meter. Therefore, the tree must have a diameter of over 1 meter to be used for construction.

The boat's hull is made of 7-8 layers of planks, each 22-34 cm wide and 4.5 cm thick on average. The two hulls have similar structures and are divided into 6 compartments.

The most complex technique is shown in the bow and stern of the boat.

In general, the ancients used the technique of chiseling tree trunks, joining planks with mortise and tenon joints, then these mortises were secured with wooden nails.

"The most complex technique is shown in the bow and stern. That is the position where the bottom of the dugout and the sideboard are tightly locked together, fixed by 4 wooden pillars of similar size 5cm x 5cm. This is the first technique seen in ancient boat building techniques in Vietnam and the world," the report stated.

The ancient boat is likely to date back to the Ly and Tran dynasties.

Scientists assess that the ancient boat has two hulls. The specific age will wait for the results of C14 analysis, but based on the technique, this type of boat often dates early and can be built in Vietnam, is a continued development of the boat building technique of the Dong Son culture through comparing the bottom of the two hulls with the dugout structure (made from a tree trunk) and the mortise and tenon technique.

Initially, scientists assessed that the ancient boat had two hulls.

Based on Chinese and international boat documents, it is believed that the boat dates from the 11th to the 14th century (Ly - Tran dynasty) and cannot be later than the 15th century and has technical influence from the South.

Documents also mentioned that this type of boat was built by the king. The book Viet Su Luoc recorded that "in 1106 (Ly Dynasty)... the king ordered the construction of a Vinh Long boat with two bottoms"; the book Dai Viet Su Ky Toan Thu recorded that "in 1124 (Ly Dynasty)... the king ordered the construction of a Tuong Quang boat, a type of boat with two sides".

Based on Chinese and international boat documents, it is believed that the boat dates from the 11th to the 14th century (Ly and Tran dynasties).

Although there are no C14 dating results yet, it is possible to confirm the presence of this type of boat in Vietnamese history, specifically during the Ly Dynasty (through historical records).

Artifacts were brought back for research and sample analysis.

Based on the current status of the relic, the excavation site and the recommendation of the Institute of Archaeology, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh province unanimously proposed that the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province allow the implementation of the plan to keep the ancient boat relic intact at the site, this is the most optimal solution to protect and promote the value of the relic.

TH (according to Vietnamnet)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/thuyen-co-moi-phat-hien-o-bac-ninh-co-2-than-kha-nang-co-tu-thoi-ly-tran-410750.html