existence of the Oc Eo culture dating back 2,000-2,500 years in the
Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre.
First traces of the ancient
culture were discovered by French archaeologist Louis Malleret, who gave
it the name of Oc Eo. The Oc Eo culture is believed to have formed and
developed in the southern delta, largely in An Giang, from the first to
the sixth century AD.
In the mid-1990s, a farmer named Huynh
Van Be in Binh Thanh village, Binh Phu commune found several stone
graters and axes in his garden. In 2003, a working team from the Vietnam
Institute of Archaeology (VIA) and the Ben Tre provincial Museum
conducted an excavation in the area and discovered more stone tools and
over 13,000 pieces of ceramics of all types.
After three
excavations and two exploration digs on a total area of 484.5 sq.m, the
experts collected nearly 500,000 artefacts, with 99 percent being
ceramics, and over 250 kilogrammes of animal and human bones as well as
Linga and Yoni objects.
The excavations also revealed vestiges of
an ancient village, which scientists named Giong Noi, including a
ceremic-burning ground, several large kitchens and big houses. The
experts believe that Giong Noi people had their own religious beliefs
which might have links with the Brahmanism as seen in the worshipping of
stone, tortoise, and the sacred objects of Linga and Yoni.
The
findings at the Giong Noi site may be considered one of the most
important achievements of the Vietnamese archaeological sector in recent
years, said researcher Nguyen Kim Dung.
Recently, the VIA has
discovered for the first time vestiges of a big ancient architectural
work in An Phong village, A Thanh commune, Mo Cay Nam district, drawing
special attention of researchers and archaeologists.
According to
Dr. Ha Van Can from the VIA, ancient architectural materials in An
Phong are remarkably similar with those found in the Go Thanh relic in
Tien Giang province, which date from the 4th-8th centuries.
VIA
experts said the vestiges found in An Phong are an invaluable historical
data which reveal the development of the local culture and great
achievements made by ancient people here, contributing to the
establishment and development of the national culture./.
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