Rediscovering the past: Lung Leng

ARTIFACTS AT THE GOLD SITE

Located 15 km west of Kon Tum City (Kon Tum province), Lung Leng village (Sa Binh commune, Sa Thay district) lies peacefully on the banks of the Po Ko River. Few would have guessed that this place holds an archaeological site that once shook the world, changing the perspective on Kon Tum's role in the evolution of humankind.

According to the villagers of Lung Leng, in the late 1990s, gold was discovered along the Po Ko River section passing through Lung Leng village. From then on, major investors from Kon Tum City also came to mine for gold. During this time, gold mine owners recruited workers in Lung Leng village and discovered that the villagers were keeping strangely shaped stone hammers and axes, so they bought them to add to their collections.

At its peak, in mid-1999, a shopkeeper in the Lung Leng gold mine brought a cardboard box containing antiques to negotiate a sale with the Kon Tum Provincial Museum. These were artifacts he had bought from gold miners. The box was opened, much to the astonishment of the museum staff. Before them were more than 300 artifacts, including stone axes with shoulders, buffalo-tooth-shaped adzes, beads, drilled stones, decorative pottery fragments, and more.

The people of Lung Leng still preserve these "heavenly hammers."

The very next day, almost the entire staff of the Kon Tum Provincial Museum trekked through the forest to the gold mine located about 3 km from Lung Leng village. Upon arrival, everyone could hardly believe their eyes: In the midst of the roughly excavated gold mine, an ancient cultural layer emerged, lying nearly 1 meter below the surface. On the walls of the gold pits, countless pottery fragments appeared, in some places densely packed up to 30 cm thick. Scattered nearby were jars, bowl bases, axe fragments, and other artifacts. Immediately, the relevant authorities in Kon Tum organized verification and exploration to aid in research.

Around this time, scientists were also discussing the urgent need to excavate Lung Leng, because the Ya Ly hydroelectric dam, under construction since 1993, was expected to be completed and begin impounding water in 2002. At that time, the reservoir would submerge a vast area in the Po Ko River basin, including Lung Leng.

To aid in research and protect artifacts from the site, an archaeological team was assigned to excavate Lung Leng.

The entire area along the Po Ko River became an archaeological site with excavation pits and digging operations. Dozens of tents were erected, and thousands of people were mobilized to work diligently under the guidance of archaeologists.

This will change people's perceptions of Kon Tum.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Quang, Deputy Director of the Kon Tum Provincial Museum, the Lung Leng archaeological site is located on a turtle-shell-shaped strip of land near the northern bank of the Po Ko River. The entire site covers an area of ​​approximately 1.5 hectares. In September 1999, the Institute of Archaeology and the Kon Tum Provincial Museum jointly excavated the Lung Leng site for the first time, covering an area of ​​106 square meters. The archaeological team discovered and collected hundreds of stone artifacts and tens of thousands of pottery fragments of various kinds.

The second excavation took place in June 2001, one of the largest archaeological excavations in the country at that time. The archaeological team discovered and processed 20 relics including hearths and kilns; 120 burial sites; and 14,552 stone artifacts including tools for labor and production such as axes, adzes, hoes, knives, grinding stones, mills, bronze casting molds, etc.

In addition, archaeologists discovered jewelry including bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and hundreds of ceramic artifacts and millions of pottery fragments of various kinds.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Khac Su, former Head of the Stone Age Department (Vietnam Institute of Archaeology), Lung Leng is a prehistoric settlement site, evidenced by the remains of house pillar bases, fire pits, and a large number of archaeological artifacts. Furthermore, it was also a place for crafting stone tools, producing pottery, smelting metals, and a large burial ground.

Lung Leng is a large-scale archaeological site with a thick cultural layer and a rich collection of artifacts, reflecting the basic stages of historical development. The earliest evidence shows the presence of late Paleolithic inhabitants dating back 30,000 years. This was followed by a series of relics from the Neolithic and Metal Ages. A significant period in this development marked a turning point for the region, ushering in a new era of civilization: the establishment of iron and copper smelting furnaces. Bronze casting molds and tools have been found here. Therefore, it can be concluded that Lung Leng was one of the prehistoric cultural and metallurgical centers.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Khac Su stated that the excavation results of the Lung Leng site have provided a rich source of historical data, contributing to the study of the nation's ancient cultural history. The excavation offers a new perspective on the entire historical landscape of the Central Highlands.

"With these excavation results, it's time we changed our perception of Kon Tum, of the Central Highlands of the past. We must acknowledge that this is a dynamic, creative region with extensive interaction. A deep understanding of the Central Highlands' past will give us a realistic perspective in the strategy for socio-economic and cultural development of the Central Highlands – a region with immense potential for our country," said Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Khac Su.

To preserve the traces of their ancestors, each family in Lung Leng village keeps a few stone axes and adzes, considering them a source of pride in the long history of their nation. In the middle of the lake, the Lung Leng archaeological site remains submerged, silently amidst the murmuring of the river, as it has been silently for thousands of years. (to be continued)

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