Revealing many mysteries of Oc Eo culture

Archaeological excavation site of Oc Eo culture.

Many mysteries revealed

Implementation of the Project “Research relic archeology Oc Eo – Ba The, Truc Pagoda (Oc Eo Culture in the South) assigned by the Prime Minister, from 2017-2020, the Institute of Archeology and the Institute of Social Sciences in the South have conducted archaeological excavations at the archaeological site of the site. Oc Eo – Ba The area with a large scale, on an area of ​​over 16 thousand square meters in 2 areas of Oc Eo field and Ba The mountainside with 8 locations Go Giong Cat, Go Giong Trom, Go Oc Eo, Lung Lon (Oc Eo field); Go Sau Thuan, Go Ut Tran, Linh Son Pagoda and Linh Son Bac (Ba The Mountain). From 2018-2020, the Citadel Research Institute has excavated the relic of the foundation of the pagoda with an area of ​​8,000 square meters. This is a relic site located under a large field, about 12km from Oc Eo – Ba The, following the crow’s flight to the North.

After nearly 4 years of performing the task, the results of the largest-scale archaeological excavation so far have discovered many important types of relics such as temple architecture, water wells, lakes. built of brick, stone and many types of monuments of residence, living, and handicraft production. In particular, the excavation has brought out from the ground an extremely rich and diverse number of foreign objects, of which the most are ceramics and glass jewelry.

In addition, the excavation results have discovered many new scientific problems, demonstrating more clearly and convincingly the characteristics and properties of the “old town” Oc Eo in the Oc Eo field today. Because this was originally a place to live along the canals, with outstanding agricultural and commercial livelihoods, there was a very developed cultural exchange and maritime trade, linking many regions in the world at that time. In addition, the excavation results at Ba The mountain have also discovered a large-scale complex of religious and belief architectural relics, giving a rather vivid picture of the major religious center of the Phu Quoc kingdom. The South and the unique cultural life of Oc Eo city in history. From the important discoveries in archeology, the history of formation and development and development of the Oc Eo culture and the kingdom of Funan continues to be elucidated through new types of relics and relics discovered. During nearly 8 centuries of existence and development, from the existence and development, from the first centuries AD to the 8th century AD, the 4th – 6th centuries were the most brilliant development period of the urban area. The ancient town of Oc Eo and the kingdom of Funan.

Worthy of heritage

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bui Minh Tri – Director of the Citadel Research Institute, the most important achievement of the project is to demonstrate and clarify the outstanding values ​​of the Oc Eo – Ba The relic site in history. It was a population center, economic center, political center, and the largest and most important religious center of the Funan kingdom. In particular, Oc Eo plays the role of an “urban” or “a coastal city” and connects to the Southwest Sea through the “gateway” of trade, which is Ngu Chua and waterways in Ba The area. served as a major religious center of the kingdom of Funan, and an integral general structure of the urban space of Oc Eo.

Some artifacts were collected at the Oc Eo relic site in An Giang.

According to Mr. Tri, in the Asian urban system in the AD period, Oc Eo – Ba The clearly demonstrated the role of an important and pervasive cultural and economic trade center, influencing in the area. Various types of precious relics of foreign origin such as Roman gold coins and medals, Persian bronze lamps, Han bronze mirrors, etc., collected in official and unofficial excavations have revealed secrets. loss of the maritime trade network of that time.

In particular, the new discovery of pottery from the Roman Empire, India, China and West Asia has contributed to a deeper explanation of the relationship of economic and cultural exchange across the oceans of Oc Eo city. in history.

The golden memories of the Oc Eo culture, the Funan civilization once continued to be revived by important discoveries of the results of recent research and archeology. From here, Oc Eo – Ba The and Nhat Chua are not only known as an ancient urban complex in the history of the Funan kingdom, but it also has a very open trade relationship with many ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms. and the countries of South Asia, Southwest Asia, Northeast Asia… through the international maritime trade route.

“With the results achieved, this relic fully meets the criteria of UNESCO on the cultural heritage of humanity” – Mr. Tri emphasized.

Also at the ceremony, managers and researchers highly appreciated the results of research and archaeological excavations of the Oc Eo culture over the past time. According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tong Trung Tin – Chairman of the Vietnam Archaeological Association, the implementation of the topic and the work also inspires scientific policy makers, cultural managers, and archaeologists to think. more on how to have specific regulations for research and promote the value of archaeological research works from research investment to value promotion investment.

“This is even more meaningful in the context that we have just witnessed the National Cultural Conference with the extremely correct instructions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong that not researching and protecting the heritage well is a crime against ancestors and people,” said Mr. Tin.