Sa Huynh-Champa Cultural Museum stores and displays the most important collections of Sa Huynh culture from the south bank of Thu Bon River in Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. The museum is located in Kieu Chau village, Duy Son commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province, next to the center of the ancient Tra Kieu capital, on the axis of DT610 road connecting 2 World Heritage Sites of Hoi An and My Son. It is preserving and exhibiting many precious and unique collections of Sa Huynh and ChamPa cultures. The collections demonstrate both of cultures that had flourished in the long history of the vital land on the Thu Bon River in the central VietNam . The collections of Sa Huynh culture are the most unique.
.jpg)
Photo: Nguyen Van Tho
Sa Huynh culture was identified about 2500 years ago, first discovered by French archaeologist M.Vi-Ne in 1909 when he found a large number of pottery coffins (about 200 pieces) on the side of An Khe lagoon in Sa Huynh site, Duc Pho district, Quang Ngai province . It was called the archaeologistcal site of Sa Huynh pottery coffins . Then the year of 1934, another French archaeologist, Ma Do-Lanh-Cô-La-Ni continued to expand the research space into neighboring areas and found hundreds of similar tombs. In 1935 she published her findings at a Far East Prehistoric conference in Manila (Philipin) and established the name in a scientific report in the journal “Old Hue Friends” in 1936. Since the name of Sa Huynh and the term Sa Huynh Culture were established and had a strange attraction to researchers.
In Duy Xuyen, we also discovered and excavated many Sa Huynh cultural monuments. These sites were late period (by BC). They were distributed in both riversides and on hills. Especially, excavated and researched the sites show that Sa Huynh cultural inhabitants had exchange culture with both Northern and Southern communities.
The cultural artifacts of Sa Huynh in Duy Xuyen were varied in type and style at the Museum. Remarkably, the artifacts were excavated at the Ma Voi and Dua mounds. Ma Voi mound is a large burial site (dated to today about 2400 years) in Duy Trung commune, Duy Xuyen district, that has many similarities with other burial sites of Sa Huynh culture, expressed in the burial of dead on sand dunes of riverside, burial items include many types: Iron, bronze, ceramic, agate jewelry, glass … Meanwhile, Dua mound vestigial grave area (Duy Tan commune, Duy Xuyen district, age of 2100 years old) has exciting character: concentrating large numbers of bronze artifacts. Double plain of pottery conffins is founded for the first time.(?). New type of burial conffins with cylindrical shape, large size, raw pottery material and embossed decorative belt.
One special feature of Sa Huynh culture was the process using large pottery coffins, being vertically buried. Burial customs were quite diverse such as cremation, burial and reburial. Different localities and types of artifacts in the same date burial site show the social classification that appears in Sa Huynh resident in Duy Xuyen district. Based on the function and shape of the artifacts, we could divide into the following categories:
1. Pot:
Buried with dead body in Sa Huynh pottery conffins were made from pottery. Pottery artifacts are placed outside or around the mouth of pottery conffins. Pot is the most popular pottery. There are different types, such as spherical pot, pot with corner broken body, broken neck, pot with gutter, bottom pot with equal bottom, skewed booze pot. Moreover, pot design shows the development of ancient craftsmanship. There's a variety of different designs, such as: patterns of comb, rope,... Especially, many pots are covered with terrace both side and were lit with lead light on their shoulders and mouths. A hot question is stated that had Sa Huynh ancestors developed like this. Is the standard of living of the old Sa Huynh people not only stopped at the full-food stage but also went to eat well, not only eating with mouth but also knowing "eating with eyes?".
2. Pottery conffins:
This is the main characteristic of Sa huynh Culture that we can compare with nowhere else. Burial jars which are pottery jars are used for adult burial reasons. A pottery conffins which is buried with mouth towards the sky and cover by a truncated-cone or tray shaped lid, is placed inside, outside, in the bottom or on the lid of the jar. Especially, there are some jars with rock sole below them.
Other evidences were founded at burial sites in Ma Voi (Duy Trung). Jars with coal tar traces inside and outside were founded together with many fragments of bone and teeth (this may prove the theory that bodies were cremated or buried again). Still, bones remain in some second jars. This situation is strange and imprecise. It is said that there were children burial practice which is founded not only in Sa Huynh culture. Some graves are founded with signed conffins. In this way, Sa Huynh ancestors may express their conception about how to warm one dead man's soul. There are 5 kinds of coffin: Peach shaped jar, oval jar, spherical jar, big pot, double jar, cylinder jar.
The variety of coffin shapes and forms again confirm ancient conception about the afterlife. It was believed that consciousness or mind of a being continues live a similar life after physical death occurs. This conception still remain in burial practice nowadays.
3. Bottle, cup, bowl, plate, tray:
Which are made from pottery are the most popular ones in Sa Huynh, Duy Xuyen cultural vestige collection. They might be different in design, color and shape, but all share the same basic structural characters. Almost all the things are constructed by 2 separated parts: the sole and the body. The body is shaped like a pot where other things were stored. The sole is hollow and stands astride.
In general, bottles and cups are slim and tenderly with beautiful patterns. These things are easily broken at the joints.
These living stuffs reflect Sa Huynh ancestors' life style. It is quite luxurious and gentle like the Western one.
4. Plumb to thread:
This evidence will shows us the existence of textile craft which still remains until now.
There are 2 types: Lozenge shaped pyramid plumb, Equal trapezium shaped pyramid plumb.
5. Iron objects:
The iron objects collection of Sa Huynh culture which is very diversity and interesting, includes production tools and weapons.
- Production tools are: spade, hoe, axe, knife, etc.
- Weapons are: blade, sword, etc.
Particularly, iron objects of Sa Huynh culture in Ma Voi mound were made without handles. There's only one iron axe was founded with bronze handle.
6. Bronze objects:
Duy Xuyen collection of Sa Huynh bronze objects has the larger number of objects than anywhere else and ever before. They are: axes, spears, lances, mirrors (decorated with radial pattern), the third rim is designed with animal decorations: two tigers, two dragons in alternation and symmetry. They are separated by 4 small knolls rather like 4 breasts which their centre is an embossed circle with a middle hole for a string. This is a mirror named: "Tu nhu, Tu linh ky thu".
7. Ornaments:
Sa Huynh ancient residents are skillful and talented craftsmen with aesthetic sense. They liked ornaments such as armlets, rings, earings, etc.which were made from various material like pottery, rock, glass, jewel, gold, etc. Artificial glass is the most advance development of Sa Huynh culture. This is one of the first places that artificial glass appeared. Glass objects here were not only diversified but also very colorful. Chinese history still save the profile of Luu Ly cups, which are made in Sa Huynh culture, respectfully. These rock, jewel and glass objects are the most advanced characteristics of this culture which had spread all over South East Asia.
Artifacts of Sa Huynh culture in Duy Xuyen district are quite rich in types, diverse in materials and origins. Many artifacts show that Sa Huynh cultural residents in Duy Xuyen have had a multi-sectoral economy for a long time, a developed spiritual and cultural life, a profound spiritual conception, expressed through diversified burial (jar grave, earthen grave, cremation, reburial...). Artifacts are pottery making up a very large numbers of the artifacts that have been excavated and collected. Pottery here is not only abundant in quantity but also very rich in types. Sa Huynh culture in the time and space of its existence is a unified culture with many nuances. That nuance is formed by the diversity of ecology, ethnic groups, habitats, ways of exchange, tastes of life... and the result is cultural diversity. Recent discoveries of Sa Huynh culture in many different areas, even in different locations within a region, show that in addition to common features, there are always unique features. The cultural diversity of this period is the premise for the cultural diversity of the Champa period. The Sa Huynh - Champa Culture Museum in Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province is one of the thematic museums that owns precious collections, the most notable is the collection from the archaeological remains of the ancient civilization Sa Huynh culture on the south bank of Thu Bon River. The collection of graves and jars and burial items is very diverse, showing the developed spiritual and material life of Sa Huynh residents in Duy Xuyen land. The museum is currently free fee for all visitors, its operation is from Monday to Saturday every week.
16 May,2023
Sharing social networks
www.disanvanhoamyson.vn
