Vietnam to open 1st outdoor Sa Huynh cultural complex late this year

The central province of Quang Ngai will open the first outdoor Sa Huynh cultural relic preservation complex in Vietnam at the end of this year.

The 20,000 square-meter area has been constructed under the project entitled “Bao ton va phat huy gia tri khu di tich khao co Sa Huynh” (“Preserve and improve the value of Sa Huynh archaeological relic site”).

The complex is built in the area of Duc Pho District’s Pho Thanh and Pho Khanh Communes, where French archaeologist M. Vinet excavated and discovered 200 jar tombs and many objects related to Sa Huynh Culture in 1909.

According to Dr. Doan Ngoc Khoi, vice director of the Quang Ngai General Museum, who has spent nearly his entire life researching Sa Huynh Culture, excavations since the beginning of the 20th century have proven that Sa Huynh existed in central provinces from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan.

Two years ago, archaeologists also found traces of the culture in the northern province of Ha Tinh and Ho Chi Minh City.

However, the core of Sa Huynh Culture was in central Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh Provinces.

The objects discovered in Pho Thanh and Pho Khanh Communes show that Sa Huynh Culture dates back 3,000 years.

Dr. Khoi said after French archaeologists excavated the area, the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology worked with foreign archaeologists and the Quang Ngai General Museum and found many objects that prove Sa Huynh Culture originated in Vietnam.

Under the plan, a gallery is being constructed in the outdoor complex to display objects into 2 topics—Sa Huynh history and Sa Huynh cultural research.

The objects on display will include jar tombs, farming tools and Dong Son bronze utensils.

Two excavation holes are also under construction in order to offer researchers and visitors the chance to see firsthand where such objects are excavated.

Nguyen Phuc Nhan, deputy director of the Quang Ngai Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that the complex has been carefully constructed because it is located near the beach and could suffer damage from natural causes.

Roads will link the area to other nearby relics like Cau Da relic site and Goddess Thien Y A Na Temple.

A road connecting Highway 1A to the complex has also been considered in order to better serve visitors.

Dr. Khoi said the province is finishing constructing the complex and planning to compile a dossier for the site to be recognized as a national special relic.

Quang Ngai General Museum is also preparing to transfer its objects to the gallery to display at the end of this year.

The Sa Huynh culture was a culture in central and southern Vietnam that flourished between 1000 BC and 200 AD.

Sa Huynh sites were rich in locally-made iron artifacts, such as axes, swords, spearheads, knives and sickles.

In contrast, bronze artifacts were dominant in the Dong Son culture sites found in northern Vietnam and elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia.

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