On October 25, the Archaeological Institute and the Heritage Conservation Center of Quang Nam announced the discovery of traces of temple architecture buried deep underground in the UNESCO World Heritage site of My Son, revealing an even more ancient My Son than the known complex of monuments.
As part of the archaeological excavation program at My Son, a team of experts uncovered ancient temple architecture in ruins to the east of the current group of Tower D, lying 0.9-1.1 meters below the ground level of the Tower D area.
Dr. Le Dinh Phung from the Archaeological Institute, who leads the team of experts, stated that the structures found underground are not related to the above-ground temple architecture.
The discovered ruins remain largely intact, with long layers of bricks and decorative blocks in their original state indicating that they predate the existing structures. Preliminary assessments by archaeologists suggest that these constructions date back to the early 9th century.
Although the remnants at My Son date back quite early, from the late 4th to early 5th century, scientists have only previously accessed the architectural works belonging to groups B, C, and D, most of which date from the 10th century onward.
Archaeological experts affirm that the results of this excavation have opened up a view of an ancient My Son buried underground, paving the way for deeper and more comprehensive research into the My Son World Heritage site.
The experts also recovered over 445 artifacts that are parts of a stone architectural structure that has collapsed. According to initial conclusions, this is the base of a small stone tower that dates to the same period as Tower B1 (approximately the late 13th century).
The excavation results also indicate that the soil layer at My Son is prone to erosion, with a sloping terrain, causing most of the architectural structures to tilt toward the stream bed of the The Khe River, leading to their collapse. Therefore, according to the archaeological team, it is necessary to survey the surrounding strata of the tower groups to propose technical solutions to prevent tilting and sinking, thereby protecting the remaining monuments.
The archaeological excavation program at My Son has been implemented since 2002 as part of a project funded by the World Heritage Fund.
