The 10-hectare salt flat located on a rocky slope in Gò Cỏ village dates back 2,000 years, demonstrating the ancient salt-making techniques of the Sa Huỳnh people.
The salt flat was recently discovered on July 10 during an archaeological survey conducted by Dr. Đoàn Ngọc Khôi, Deputy Director of the Quảng Ngãi Comprehensive Museum, focusing on the archaeological site of Sa Huỳnh culture, which has been recognized as a national cultural heritage.
The salt flat is situated between the sea and the mountains, next to Gò Cỏ village in Phổ Thạnh commune, Đức Phổ town. This area is approximately 800 meters from the ancient Sa Huỳnh settlement and 500 meters from burial sites.
The location of the ancient salt flat discovered by the Sa Huỳnh people. (Photo: Đoàn Ngọc Khôi).
According to Mr. Khôi, the salt-making technique on rocks in Gò Cỏ village is quite unique. When the tide rises, seawater fills the collection basins, which is then sun-dried to enhance salinity. The seawater is scooped from these basins and poured onto concave surfaces on the rocks, with additional water added continuously to increase the thickness of the salt. After about a week, each “salt field” can yield 2-3 kilograms.
The tradition of salt-making has been passed down from the Sa Huỳnh period through the Champa and Đại Việt eras. Currently, some households in Cỏ village still practice the ancestral method of salt-making. The salt produced on the basalt rocks here is very white, clean, with sparkling crystals, a moderate salty taste, and a sweet aftertaste. This discovery is considered significant, contributing to clarifying the salt-making techniques of prehistoric peoples.
The residents of Gò Cỏ village continue to preserve their ancestral salt-making technique on rocks. (Photo: Đoàn Ngọc Khôi).
In studies of the Sa Huỳnh culture, archaeologists have always been interested in the pottery and salt-making techniques of ancient residents. Previously, only burial sites and the Long Thạnh site had been excavated, with no traces of salt-making discovered. However, this finding has provided additional evidence of three salt-making methods used by the Sa Huỳnh people: sun-drying seawater on rocks to create crystallized salt, boiling seawater in ceramic pots to produce salt, and salt-making in fields.
Currently, researchers are continuing to collect artifact samples for laboratory analysis to determine the precise dating of the salt-making profession. The analysis includes: samples of shells collected from the salt flat or petrological analysis to understand the substrate structure of the salt flat and the rock’s abrasion. Additionally, analyzing the chemical composition of the salt on the rocks will provide information about the elements contained in the salt.
Crystallized salt on rocks in Gò Cỏ village. (Photo: Đoàn Ngọc Khôi).
Dr. Khôi indicated that the discovery of this ancient salt flat proves that prehistoric people in Vietnam mastered salt-making techniques very early on. The salt-making method of the ancient Sa Huỳnh people is similar to the salt-making methods (sun-drying seawater on rocks) at the ancient salt flats of Dương Phố (Hainan, China), dating back to around 800 AD.
According to the leadership of the Quảng Ngãi Comprehensive Museum, the archaeological findings of the salt-making site, ancient roads, and resting places of ancient Sa Huỳnh people, along with related artifacts previously discovered, will significantly contribute to the dossier for recognizing the Sa Huỳnh culture archaeological site as a World Heritage Site.
