Thousand-year-old ancient boat reveals strange burn marks, revealing unexpected secrets

Unique ancient boat burn marks discovered in Bac Ninh

A surprising new detail has just been announced by archaeologists during the research of two ancient boats discovered in Cong Ha quarter, Ha Man ward, Thuan Thanh town, Bac Ninh province: traces of burning appeared on the hull of the boat, revealing more mysteries about the fate of this unique relic.

Traces of fire were found on the side of the ancient boat.

Dr. Pham Van Trieu - Deputy Head of Historical Archaeology Department (Institute of Archaeology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences ) said that during the excavation, experts noticed the phenomenon of "fire" on the side of the boat:

“ The double-bottomed boat in Bac Ninh was burned on the upper side, but the part submerged in the water was not burned. However, the area where the water and fire came into contact was engulfed in flames, indicating that the entire structure above the boat was likely severely burned.”

Burn marks on a piece of plank from an ancient boat in Bac Ninh. Photo: VOV.VN.

What is noteworthy, according to Dr. Trieu, is that due to the phenomenon of burning into charcoal combined with strong water flow, the charcoal after burning was completely washed away, leaving no visible ash or physical residue on the boat's surface. "The extent of the fire was probably very large, but it has not yet been determined whether the boat burned before being abandoned, or burned later due to some other incident." - Mr. Trieu commented.

The burning of the boat opens up many intriguing research hypotheses. The boat may have burned due to conflict, natural disaster, or during some sacrificial ritual before sinking. The traces of burning reveal a complex and mysterious historical story attached to the fate of this special relic.

Unique catamaran

These two ancient boats, more than 16m long, 2.25m wide and over 2m deep, have a special structure: the bottom is a large hollowed-out tree trunk, the top is joined together with wooden mortise and tenon techniques, completely without using metal nails.

Panoramic view of two ancient boats discovered and excavated.

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri (Institute of Archaeology) assessed that the discovery of a pair of boats connected by a system of fixed beams, forming a homogeneous block, is unprecedented in the history of Vietnamese archaeology. “This is the first time we have found a pair of twin-hull boats with a completely unique manufacturing technique. Not only in Vietnam, but also in the world, there has never been a record of an ancient boat with such a connecting structure.”

International experts say this is a unique boat in the world, there is no second one. The boat may be the same type, but the structure and use of wooden nails, the structure of the bow connection, the structure of the connection between the dugout and the planks at the head and stern – these are things that the world does not have.

Unanswered Questions

The discovery of burnt remains has led researchers to hypothesize: Was the boat destroyed by war, natural disaster or domestic accident? Or was it intentionally burned in some ritual, then swept away by the current and buried deep at the bottom of the pond?

Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Minh Tri emphasized the importance of continuing to research the stratigraphy and space around the place where the boat was discovered:

“It is necessary to decipher the connection between the abandoned boat and the ancient settlement and trade system of the Dau River area, which once connected Luy Lau with ancient Thang Long.”

In addition, waiting for the results of C14 radiocarbon analysis will also play a decisive role in determining the exact age of the two boats, serving as a basis for deciphering more historical mysteries.

A precious legacy

Since being discovered in late 2024 during the renovation of Mr. Nguyen Van Chien's fish pond (Cong Ha quarter), the two ancient boats have quickly attracted the attention of domestic and international archaeologists.

Wooden bars in the side of the boat were discovered in Bac Ninh.

Not only are the two boats vivid evidence of ancient boat-building techniques, they also open new doors in the study of trading activities, daily life and handicrafts of ancient residents of the Northern Delta.

The traces of burning – smoldering embers in the midst of history – once again raise questions, urging researchers to persevere in decoding to clarify the story of a magnificent relic, closely associated with the flow of Vietnamese culture from thousands of years ago.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/thuyen-co-nghin-nam-lo-vet-chay-la-he-mo-bi-mat-bat-ngo-post268923.html