More than 20 burial sites and stone tools, along with jewelry dating back 3,500 years, have been excavated and restored after over a decade of research at the Trong Water Lake.
Trong Water Lake in Son Ha District is situated on the Tang River, covering a total area of 460 km2, with the lake surface measuring 12 km2. It is one of the four largest irrigation lakes in Central Vietnam, initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in 2007. During the land clearance for the project, cultural management agencies and archaeologists discovered residential sites, burial grounds, and artifacts made of stone, bronze, iron, glass, and ceramics in the Tang River valley associated with this lake.
Over 10 years ago, 54 burial sites were excavated and encased in plaster within wooden boxes, later transferred for preservation at the Quang Ngai Provincial Museum.
The burial jars were restored in 2021 and 2022. The technical process involved removing soil from the jars, restoration, treatment, and preservation of ceramics, bronze, and iron found within the graves; along with dating…
On October 25, the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Quang Ngai summarized the project for the restoration (excavation, reconstruction, research) of artifacts at Trong Water Lake.
Burial jars excavated 10 years ago at the bottom of Trong Water Lake. Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Khac Su (Institute of Archaeology) stated that these are graves of the pre-Sa Huynh inhabitants, belonging to the Sa Huynh culture. The Sa Huynh people buried their dead near their homes, but later, due to community development and changing beliefs, they moved the graves further away. Trong Water Lake is approximately 100 km west of An Khe lagoon (Duc Pho Town), where the first artifacts of the Sa Huynh culture were discovered, and similar burial jars can also be found here.
Ancient people used stones to mark graves.
A burial jar after restoration. Dr. Doan Ngoc Khoi, Deputy Director of the Quang Ngai Provincial Museum, noted that among the burial jars found, there are 19 coffin-shaped graves. This type of grave contains ashes after cremation, along with stone tools, jewelry, and ceramics. In addition to the 19 coffin graves, there are 6 earth graves where the bodies were buried directly in the ground, surrounded by ceramic borders.
According to archaeologists, ancient people used natural tubes to create circular patterns for the graves, reflecting the aesthetics and power of the owners.
Burial jars come in various styles: spherical, cylindrical, egg-shaped, and vase-like. Some jars do not have lids, while others feature lids shaped like bowls or truncated cones.
The stone axe was a burial item found in the graves. Additionally, the graves often contained grinding stones, pounding stones, and pestles used for grinding various seeds, fruits, and ceramics.
An agate jewelry piece found in a burial at Trong Water Lake. Agate is the most common type of chalcedony stone, belonging to the quartz family, and has been mined by humans for thousands of years B.C.
Stone tools were once used by the Sa Huynh people at Trong Water Lake. The Sa Huynh culture (2,000-3,000 years ago) is one of the three ancient civilizations of Vietnam, first discovered in 1909 near An Khe (Duc Pho Town). Subsequent studies have indicated that the Sa Huynh cultural space extends throughout Central Vietnam, with Quang Ngai and Quang Nam being the core regions. The Quang Ngai People’s Committee has requested that the cultural sector and scientists continue to research and restore the remaining artifacts at Trong Water Lake, as well as develop a plan to exhibit the restored burial jars to promote the heritage value.
