Recent archaeological studies have revealed more evidence of theexistence of the Oc Eo culture dating back 2,000-2,500 years in theMekong Delta province of Ben Tre.
First traces of the ancientculture were discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleret, who gaveit the name of Oc Eo. The Oc Eo culture is believed to have formed anddeveloped in the southern delta, largely in An Giang, from the first tothe sixth century AD.
In the mid-1990s, a farmer named HuynhVan Be in Binh Thanh village, Binh Phu commune found several stonegraters and axes in his garden. In 2003, a working team from the VietnamInstitute of Archaeology (VIA) and the Ben Tre provincial Museumconducted an excavation in the area and discovered more stone tools andover 13,000 pieces of ceramics of all types.
After threeexcavations and two exploration digs on a total area of 484.5 sq.m, theexperts collected nearly 500,000 artefacts, with 99 percent beingceramics, and over 250 kilogrammes of animal and human bones as well asLinga and Yoni objects.
The excavations also revealed vestiges ofan ancient village, which scientists named Giong Noi, including aceremic-burning ground, several large kitchens and big houses. Theexperts believe that Giong Noi people had their own religious beliefswhich might have links with the Brahmanism as seen in the worshipping ofstone, tortoise, and the sacred objects of Linga and Yoni.
Thefindings at the Giong Noi site may be considered one of the mostimportant achievements of the Vietnamese archaeological sector in recentyears, said researcher Nguyen Kim Dung.
Recently, the VIA hasdiscovered for the first time vestiges of a big ancient architecturalwork in An Phong village, A Thanh commune, Mo Cay Nam district, drawingspecial attention of researchers and archaeologists.
According toDr. Ha Van Can from the VIA, ancient architectural materials in AnPhong are remarkably similar with those found in the Go Thanh relic inTien Giang province, which date from the 4th-8th centuries.
VIAexperts said the vestiges found in An Phong are an invaluable historicaldata which reveal the development of the local culture and greatachievements made by ancient people here, contributing to theestablishment and development of the national culture./.
First traces of the ancientculture were discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleret, who gaveit the name of Oc Eo. The Oc Eo culture is believed to have formed anddeveloped in the southern delta, largely in An Giang, from the first tothe sixth century AD.
In the mid-1990s, a farmer named HuynhVan Be in Binh Thanh village, Binh Phu commune found several stonegraters and axes in his garden. In 2003, a working team from the VietnamInstitute of Archaeology (VIA) and the Ben Tre provincial Museumconducted an excavation in the area and discovered more stone tools andover 13,000 pieces of ceramics of all types.
After threeexcavations and two exploration digs on a total area of 484.5 sq.m, theexperts collected nearly 500,000 artefacts, with 99 percent beingceramics, and over 250 kilogrammes of animal and human bones as well asLinga and Yoni objects.
The excavations also revealed vestiges ofan ancient village, which scientists named Giong Noi, including aceremic-burning ground, several large kitchens and big houses. Theexperts believe that Giong Noi people had their own religious beliefswhich might have links with the Brahmanism as seen in the worshipping ofstone, tortoise, and the sacred objects of Linga and Yoni.
Thefindings at the Giong Noi site may be considered one of the mostimportant achievements of the Vietnamese archaeological sector in recentyears, said researcher Nguyen Kim Dung.
Recently, the VIA hasdiscovered for the first time vestiges of a big ancient architecturalwork in An Phong village, A Thanh commune, Mo Cay Nam district, drawingspecial attention of researchers and archaeologists.
According toDr. Ha Van Can from the VIA, ancient architectural materials in AnPhong are remarkably similar with those found in the Go Thanh relic inTien Giang province, which date from the 4th-8th centuries.
VIAexperts said the vestiges found in An Phong are an invaluable historicaldata which reveal the development of the local culture and greatachievements made by ancient people here, contributing to theestablishment and development of the national culture./.
