Posted on 04/06/2005 11:43:59 AM PDT by blam
Archeologists dig up ancient casting centre
(05-04-2005)
Story in stone: An arterfact found at Den Citadel. —
Archeologists claim to have found the country’s largest Bronze Age metallurgy centre, estimated to be 3,500 years old.
The site, located at the Den Citadel in Phu My Hamlet, Tu Lap Commune, Me Linh District, in the northern province of Vinh Phuc, has yielded many discoveries which indicate that the site is the largest centre of bronze casting in Viet Nam to have been discovered so far, said Lam Thi My Dung, director of the Museum of Anthropology.
Metallurgy and bronze-casting are representative of the Dong Dau culture, according to Dr Ha Van Phung of the Viet Nam Archeological Institute. Bronze made its first appearance in Viet Nam in the middle of the second millenium BC, along with stone tools. A representative site was discovered in 1958 in Phung Nguyen, also in Vinh Phuc Province.
The Phung Nguyen civilisation gave rise to the Dong Dau period in the second half of the second millennium BC. Succeeding the Dong Dau culture were the Go Mun people in the early in the first millennium BC. The Bronze Age reached its peak with the fourth and final stage, the Dong Son culture.
Dong Dau remnants are scattered in the uplands and the Song Hong (Red River) Delta. To date, archeologists have discovered 37 sites.
The 24,000sq. m archeological site in the Den Citadel was discovered in 1970. Since then four excavations have been conducted in 1983, 1984, 1996 and in February of this year.
Through the four excavations, archeologists found traces of the Phung Nguyen civilisation in the upper layers of the site and of the Go Mun at the lower layers.
"Traces at the site demonstrate a continuous evolution of the cultures in which the Dong Dau civilisation was the bridge between the Phung Nguyen and Go Mun cultures," Dung said.
The Den Citadel archeological site is estimated to be more than 3,500 years old. Tools found in the area include production implements, weapons, domestic utensils and ornamental works of art of various materials. Bronze axes, representative of the age, were also found here, along with arrowheads and fish hooks.
One square metre of the site has yielded a surprising number of molds, the largest number of any such site in Viet Nam. — VNS
The oldest bronze smelting site ever discovered is in Thailand.
Casting plays or dice?
Wait'll they find that ancient Casting Couch. *rimshot*
"Story in stone: An arterfact found at Den Citadel."
Wow. You don't find many arterfacts these days.
Where they put out of the business due to the EPA, OSHA Dept of Labor etc?
Stop Casting Porosity.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)
It had to be said. ;')
I've been there a couple times. Very interesting.
From http://www.udonthani.com
"Ban chiang is located 50 km east of Udon Thani along route 22 to Sakon Nakhon. It is one of the most important archaeological sites to be uncovered in southeast Asia. The site was discovered in 1966 by Stephen Young, a Harvard sociology graduate. But a major excavation of the site only commenced in the years 1974-75, by the govenment fine art department in conjunction with the university of Pennsylvania. This led to the startling discovry of early bronze metallurgy and clay pottery, especially pots and vases with distinctive burnt-orche swirl designs. Ban Chiang was in December 1992 declared a world heritage site by UNESCO." 
LOL. I survey your posts..........."casting couch" --- "you beat me to the punch"........... Mary Wells!
Use More Flux!!
Would have been a nice place to live during the Ice Age. Aren't these people something of a mystery?
I've not yet met a Thai that isn't a mystery.
I thought the jars found at the dig were very much like those found on the "plain of jars" in Laos.
It was interesting seeing the dig. They've built an enclosure over it. I didn't see any sign of current activity though. I think I did hear they were now digging elsewhere. The old village was on a slight rise surrounded by flat land which probably wetter then than now.
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