VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATED ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
NGUYEN QUOC MANH
PRE-OC EO VESTIGE IN THE TU GIAC LONG XUYEN REGION
DURING THE FORMATION OF OC EO CULTURE
IN SOUTHWEST VIETNAM
Major: Archaeology
Code: 9.22.90.17
SUMMARY OF ARCHAEOLOGY DOCTOR THESIS
HA NOI-2019
LIST OF THESIS AUTHOR PUBLICATION
Thesis have completed at:
GRADUATED ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
1. Nguyen Quoc Manh (2008), Go Me pottery in the process of
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
Prehistoric culture development in Eastern Nam Bo, in “Some
Archaeological achievements in Southern Vienam - Volume 3, Social
Sciences publishing, Hanoi, pp.177-228.
Supervisor: Assc.Prof. Dr. BUI CHI HOANG
2.
Nguyen Quoc Manh, Cao Kieu Thuy Linh (2014), Nhon Thanh
complex site-Documents and Considerations, Social Sciences magagine
(No.8/2014), pp.97-111.
Reviewer 1: Assc.Prof.Dr. Hoang Van Khoan
3. Nguyen Quoc Manh (2015), Late pre-historial
vestiges in An
Reviewer 2: Assc. Prof. Dr. Tong Trung Tin
Giang province-Characteristic and Chronology, Social Sciences
Reviewer 3: Dr. Pham Quoc Quan
magagine (No. 11/2015), pp. 80-96.
4. Nguyen Quoc Manh (2016), Some issue about dating of Oc Eo
culture in An Giang province. The national conference “Value of Oc Eo
This thesis will be presented in Assessment Committee of
cultural Heritage - An Giang province, in the process of socio-economic
Graduated Academy of Social Sciences at ………. h …… m, …… /
development”. University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam
……. /2019.
National University Ho Chi Minh City), pp. 116-130.
5. Le Thi Lien, Nguyen Quoc Manh, Nguyen Thi Mai Huong (2016),
Context of the port-cities establishment in the coast of Southern
Vietnam: Understanding from recent surveys, Southeast Asia Regional
Centre for Archaeologie and Fine Arts, from 30th May to 2nd June
This thesis submitted for:
National Library of Vietnam
2016), Bangkok, Thailand, pp. 160-177.
Library of Graduated Academy of Social Sciences
6. Bui Chi Hoang, Nguyen Quoc Manh, Le Hoang Phong (2018),
Protohistoric Archaeology in Southern Vietnam, Social Sciences
publishing, Hanoi.
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been shaped and developed strongly from the second half of the first
INTRODUCTION
millennium BC, in which Southeast Asia was an important access
gateway.
1. The urgency of research
The issue of source and development of Oc Eo culture is an
Based on the cultural characteristics which was clarified between
culture stages 2 and 3, it clearly expresses the inherent direct
important research content. From the very beginning of the discovering
this culture, French scholars have recognized the importance of the
relationship between this stage, it is a concrete reflection of the
transitional step from Pre-Oc Eo stage to early Oc Eo stage that
indigenous origin of this culture.
Up to now, there have been many important findings about cultural
associated with the formation of the ancient city of Oc Eo in the
beginning of Common Era.
elements as the germ of the Oc Eo culture through vestiges of postMetal age and early-Iron Age that reflect the close relationship with Oc
With the achievements of research in recent decades, we have been
able to establish a genealogy of cultural development of pre Oc Eo
Eo culture in the space of Southeast region and the transitional area
between the East-West of South region. Particularly, Tu Giac Long
culture in the TGLX region in particular and in the Southern region in
general. TGLX region includes three stages which is connected with
Xuyen (TGLX region) is considered as an important space of Oc Eo
culture and also many pre-Oc Eo vestiges have been discovered,
three developing periods and transition from pre-historical to protohistorical, from pre-Oc Eo to Oc Eo culture. Therein, the second
however the researches on the pre-Oc Eo stage in this area are still
incomplete, there are unsolved spaces needed to be clarified.
cultural stage is a transitional stage, a period of cultural transition from
pre-Oc Eo to Oc Eo culture (proto-Oc Eo).
From the current practical needs, the issue of “Pre-Oc Eo vestige
in the Tu Giac Long Xuyen region during the formation of Oc Eo
By clarifying the developmental complex of pre-Oc Eo in the
TGLX region and its important role in the formation of the Oc Eo
culture in the Southwest region” is selected as the content of the thesis.
- Research purposes:
culture in the Southwest region, it is possible to perceive that the
ancient Oc Eo city was formed on a land which was created and
To synthesize the pre-Oc Eo documents in TGLX region.
Clarify cultural characteristics, relationship, chronology and
conquered by indigenous people, on a cultural tradition rooted in
prehistoric culture in the Southern region in which archaeological
historical of develop stages from pre-Oc Eo to early-Oc Eo in TGLX.
- Object and scope of the study:
materials finds that TGLX region has a very important role.
Research objects are vestiges of pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo in
TGLX region as well as in the Southern Vietnam.
Time frame: from the second half of the 1st millennium BC to the
3rd century AD; the main study area is TGLX region and extent of
comparative study in the Southern Vietnam.
- Methodologies and methods used:
The thesis uses historical methodology, dialectical materialism and
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historical materialism. Methods of country archeology, description,
CONCLUSION
comparative studies. Statistical method, data analysis or theory of
cummunity structure, theory of ancient urban formation... are also used.
The thesis has gathered, systematized, classified the materials of
pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo in TGLX region and Southern region. It
- The main contributions of the thesis:
To synthesize documents, to clarify the basic characteristics of the
processed and identified the stages of cultural development of the
TGLX region, consisting of three developing stages.
vestiges and relics of pre-Oc Eo, to identify dates and develop stages
from pre-Oc Eo to Oc Eo culture.
TGLX region is an important component in the history of the
formation and development of the Southern region as well as the delta
To determine the relationship with the vestiges of pre-Oc Eo in the
South of Vietnam (Nam Bo) and to clarify the role of TGLX region in
of the Mekong river.
The earliest vestiges of people in this area manifests a close
the formation process of Oc Oe culture.
6. Theoretical and practical meanings of the thesis
traditional relationship with the prehistorical culture of the Eastern Nam
Bo, especially the basin of Vam Co river.
Through synthesizing and analyzing materials, the thesis offers a
fuller materials as source material for studying and investigating the
The three cultural stages in TGLX region are three developing
steps from the pre-Oc Eo culture to the early Oc Eo culture in the
formation of Oc Eo culture in TGLX region and the Southern Vietnam.
The thesis contributes to clarify the formation history of the
Southern region.
In addition to traditional indigenous cultural elements, the bold
Mekong delta.
The thesis contributes to establish a tradition of development and
mark of the exoticelements had partly contributedin the whole sociocultural and socio-economic structure of the pre-Oc Eo inhabitant in
realization of an important historical period of the Southern region.
7. Structure of the thesis
TGLX region and the Southwestern region. However, traditional
cultural elements still play a major role besides a strong interaction with
Besides introduction and conclusion, the content of the thesis
consists of three chapters:
other cultures in the region.
In the transiting period in the beginning AD, the western area of
Chapter 1: Overview of research (25 pages)
Chapter 2: Vestiges, relics of pre-Oc Eo in TGLX region (63 pages)
the Hau river was a vestige system, pre-Oc Eo,its cultural connotations
express a close relationship with the early Oc Eo cultural stage and its
Chapter 3: Characters, dates and cultural relationship (49 pages)
Chapter 1: Overview of study
essential role for the formation and development of this culture.
On the whole of the southern region, the characteristic of this
1.1. The Geography and environment
TGLX is an area of about 4,900km2, distributed in An Giang and
transitional period is evidently manifested in areas or different divided
geographic regions, it relates to the process of conquering and
Kien Giang provinces. Its terrain characteristic is divided-levels and
composed of ancient alluvial terrace around the blocks of mountain
mastering the low plains. The establishment of residential centers which
have characteristic of the dawn of commercial port is the result of a
down the plain delta, that is typical character of open flood plain.
process of active interacting into the international trade system that had
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the TGLX region quickly grew to become the center of this system.
There are three areas in TGLX region, each of which has
3.3.5. Relationship with India: Through the materials, pottery relic,
tile, jewelry, … It can be seen that from the second half of the first
geographic and environmental characteristics with typical vestiges.
Nui Sam-Bay Nui area is a semi-mountainous terrain with
millennium BC, TGLX has a constant and permanent exchange
relationship with Indian culture. And, Indian cultural mark was more
residential vestige of pre-Oc Eo and architectural vestige of late Oc Eo.
Thoai Son-Nui Sap area has two types of terrains with ancient
and more deeply rooted in the culture of the inhabitants of this region, it
contributes an important part for the developing and shaping of a new
alluvial terrace inter-bedded with the lower delta, that is aspace
centering of many of tipycal Oc Eo cultural vestiges.
cultural structure and new social institution in the early Christian era.
3.3.6. The issue of owner of Oc Eo culture: There are anthropological
Ha Tien-Rach Gia area is a lower delta near the sea with gates
connecting to the Gulf of Thailand, it consists pre-Oc Eo vestiges such
studies of Mekong delta through ancient skulls that were collected in Oc
Eo-Ba The, Canh Den, Go Thap… The analytical result reflects the
as K9, Giong Cu, Xoa Ao beside the vestiges of Nen Chua, Da Noi...
Foundation history of the TGLX region connected with the
trace of Indonesian or Malayo Polynesian anthropological type.
The combining of anthropological materials, ancient documents,
formation history of the land of the Southern region, it underwent the
process of geological motion and accretion ... with its prominent feature
archaeological materials and archaeological relics which bear the
cultural features of the island gives us a comprehension of the island’s
is mountain’s system and ancient alluvial terrace and plain. The new
alluvial plains of the quadrilateral area was formed under the effects of
cultural identity of the inhabitant of Oc Eo culture, and diversified
nuance of this culture.
the transgression and regression of the sea; especially, the fluctuation in
Holocene II and III strongly affected the terrain characteristic and the
3.3. Summary of Chapter 3
Based on the classified data, statistics in chapter 2, this chapter
distribution of archaeological vestiges of Pre-Oc Eo and Oc Eo culture,
that connected with high-grade terrace +5m (2700-2200BP), +2m to
identifies dating and cultural divergence which consists of three stages
of continuous development from pre-Oc Eo to early Oc Eo.
+3m (2200-2000 BP) and from +1 to +2m (century 1st-3rd AD).
1.2. Overview of research situation
TGLX region is part of the overall of developing process of preproto historical culture of the Southern region, it closely related to
1.2.1. Before 1975
Period before 1975, the research related with initial discovery and
different regions, and has an important role in the international
commercial system. The quadrilateral region, with its natural
focused on urban issues, ancient countries ... of French scholars. On the
basis of evaluating the cultural context of Oc Eo culture, the research
advantages, culture was quickly established in the beginning AD, it
became the greatest center and became the convergence for the
based on prehistoric material documentation found in the western part
of the Hau River, French scholars had recognized the great role of
formation of Oc Eo culture.
indigenousstructurein this culture.
1.2.2. After 1975 to now
Since 1975, Vietnamese archaeologists have determined that
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indigenous structure is the foundation for the formation of the Oc Eo
3.3.1. Relationship with Vam Co-Dong Thap Muoi region: Between
culture which connected with the development of the Metal Age.
Through the new discoveries in Dau Giay, Dong Nai river, coastal of
the TGLX region and the transitive area of eastern and southwestern
regions is the space of the Vam Co basin and the northern edge of Dong
the Southeast region... Dong Nai pre-historic culture is considered as
material foundation which played an immediate role of the formation of
Thap Muoi region which had a close traditional relationship and was
manifested through the pottery of Go Cay Tung site and Lo Gach site, it
Oc Eo culture.
Through discoveries in Can Gio area, Vam Co river and TGLX
is traditional manufacture and using bone, horn to phtanite jewelry.
3.3.2. Relationship with Dong Nai basin and the salt-march of
region, the evidences of the germinated characteristics of the Oc Eo
culture are recognized. The concept of pre-Oc Eo is shaped together and
Eastern Nam bo: Between the TGLX region and the salt-march ofthe
Eastern Nambo region had a cultural exchanged relationship which was
the full confidences of many routes to formation of Oc Eo culture
through the route of Giong Ca Vo-Giong Phet-Giong Lon, Go Cao Su-
placed in the whole of pre-proto historical cultural space of Southern
Vietnam. And in the high developing process of the Metal Age, the
Go O Chua-Go Hang and a crossroad to Go Cay Tung.
In addition to the viewpoint of the multi-route formation, there is
expansion of regional and international trade had established residential
center sand commercial pre-commercial port in estuaries such as Can
another approach to the developing elements of the Pre-Oc Eo culture in
the Southern Vietnam, when the matter of the Pre & Proto-historical
Gio-Long Son, northern line of Dong Thap Muoi region to TGLX
region. On the same level of common cultural and social development
culture of this region is considered generally through the analyzed
results and identifying of economic, cultural and social characteristics in
of the South and the area, the relationship of areas was established and
developed on the basis of commercial activities as well as on the
each particular region and considerate the formation process of Oc Eo
culture in the general context of pre-proto historical culture of this
prehistorical cultural tradition of the Eastern Nam Bo which was
formed thousands of years ago.
region.
1.3. Concept and theoretical framework
3.3.3. Relationship with the Central coast: The relationship between
the TGLX region and the central coast of Vietnam is evidently
1.3.1. The concept
Pre-Oc Eo is the whole developping process existed before Oc Eo
expressed through pottery and jar burial that appeared in the 3rd stage,
early Oc Eo stage in early Christian Era. It can be seen clearly this
culture in the Southern Vietnam (before 1st century BC).
Pre-Oc Eo is a stage in which the germinated elements of Oc Eo
relationship through Linh Son Nam jar burial, Iron Age pottery... This
relationship is shaped and developed in the development of
culture appeared and developed, to move the society from pre-historical
period to Oc Eo culture. This stage is equivalent to the post-Metallic
international trade mark system by sea route connected the East-West.
3.3.4. Relationship with Southast Asia: From very early, TGLX region
period in the Southern Vietnam.
The concept of Oc Eo culture is the archaeological culture
has relationship with the island area, it is manifested by stone tools and
jewelry. In stages 2 and 3, this relationship continued to grow with the
connected with the formation and development of the city. This culture
formation of a system of international trade in the sea route, in which
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high stilt house was also appeared and popular.
was formed through the combination of two endogenous and exotic
The group of habitation vestige on the delta was concentrated
around low-lying lakes, stilt house form was popular, large clusters
cultural elements, its distributed space mainly concentrated in the
Mekong delta and its effected area extended throughout the Southern
gathered and formed a large space, typically in Oc Eo-Ba The.
3.2.2. Burials
region, its time frame existed in the first millennium BC. This culture
has three stages of development:
The soil-burials were discovered in Go Cay Tung that may be
belonged to the pre-Oc Eo stage, but most of their structure were
+Early Oc Eo stage
(Early Oc Eo, 1st-3rd century).
+ Developing Oc Eo stage (Develop Oc Eo, 4th-7th centuries).
destroyed, document is not clear yet.
Linh Son Nam jar burials has typical characteristic of this style that
+ Late Oc Eo
+ Post Oc Eo stage
(Late Oc Eo, 8th-10th century).
(Post Oc Eo, after 10th century).
was popular in archaeological sites in the area.
3.2.3. Residential vestige-handicraft workshop for making stone
1.3.2. Theoretical framework
To solve the contents and purposes that were proposed, the thesis
and pottery
In pre-Oc Eo vestiges such as Go Cay Tung, Phum Quao, Go Me-
utilizes these following theoretical frameworks: theory of regional
culture and sub-regional culture; theory of exchanged and improvable
Go Sanh, K9…, existed handcraft manufacturing activities such as
manufacturing tool, stone jewelry, pottery or manufacturing glass…
culture; the theory of the formation of ancient cities.
1.4. Summary of Chapter 1
3.2. Date and diverged stages of development
Three developing stages of Pre Oc Eo and early Eo-Oc in TGLX
The results of the research shows that natural environmental
condition plays an important role in process of settlement and
region were associated with standard stratigraphic columns in Go Cay
Tung, K9, Giong Xoai, Go Oc Eo, Go Cay Thi, Go Tu Tram, their
development of the inhabitants in Mekong delta in general and the
TGLX region in particular.
successive date is 2,700-2,200 BP, 2,200-2,000BP and 2,000-1,800 BP.
The inherited relationship of thevestige-relic styles reflects the
On the issue of the origin of the Oc Eo culture, it is recognized that
the Oc Eo culture was composed of two endogenous and exotic
developing process continuously from stage 1 to stage 3. In which,
cultural stage 2 is the transitive step from stage 1 to stage 3. It manifests
elements, which affirms the important role of traditional and indigenous
culture. However, in this issue there are two outlooks: 1. Oc Eo culture
various distributed characteristics of vestige, types of vestige as well as
the transition from the mode of the village-workshop structure of the
is formed through various ways of development of pre-Oc Eo; 2.
Consider the problem on the two traditional axes and the common linear
highland to the handicraft-trade village in the mound-bank in estuaries,
that is characteristic of pre-trade port to city, and developing
of pre-proto history in the Southern region.
Chapter 2: Vestiges, artifacts of pre-Oc Eo in tu giac long xuyen region
commercial port in Oc Eo-Ba The complex site.
3.3. Tu Giac Long Xuyen region on the view of pre-Oc Eo culture in
2.1. Vestige: Pre-Oc Eo vestige in TGLX region are found on three
divided terrain areas, including:
* Group vestiges in Nui Sam-Bay Nui area: The found vestiges
the Southern Vietnam
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distributed on the ancient alluvial terrace and high mounds that centered
corresponding to the three divided terrains and environment of the
around the foot of the blocks of mountain.
- Go Cay Tung site (Tinh Bien district, An Giang province) were
ancient alluvial terrace, mound-bank area that are nearthe estuary and
seacoast, and delta.
discovered in 1990 and have been excavated several times.
The results of the excavations have identified the stratigraphic
Types of relics include type groups which are classified by
material, type, or classified and described in detail systematically.
column of the residentialrelic of pre-Oc Eo with thickness of 1.3-4.7m,
including two periods of residence I and II. The structure of the basic
Pottery collection are analyzed and identified in association with
archaeological stratigraphy, which are the scientific basic for
cultural layer unified two layers which have constitutive characteristics,
combinedby hard terraces or burned soil, intermingled with relics of
archaeologists to recognize the development of stages in TGLX region
from pre-Oc Eo to Oc Eo culture.
daily utensils (pottery, bone, horns, stone tools, stone jewelry…).
In addition, there are religious architectural vestiges of late Oc Eo
Chapter 3: Vestiges of pre-Oc Eo in Tu Giac Long Xuyen regioncharacteristis, dates and cultural relations
stage and 28 earthen burials, its dating is later than architectural vestige.
Typical relics include working tools and jewelry rings, terracotta
3.1. Vestige distribution
Vestiges of pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo in TGLX area are
animal statues. Pottery dominatesin number over traditional coarse
pottery materials with external coloring (99.9% of total pottery debris).
distributed in different terrain types corresponding to three cultural
stages from early to late as following:
In the second stage, small quantities of fine potterys appeared with
specifications about colors, materials and types, which are totally
Stage 1: Pre-Oc Eo vestige is distributed on the ancient alluvial
terracesurrounded blocks of the mountain, altitude +5m above sea level.
different from the common ones in this place, but they have
similaritieswith other synchronic relics in the Southwest region.
Stage 2: the vestige is distributed in the ancient alluvial terrace and
low mounds and banks in the new alluvial delta plain, altitude from +2
- An Phu site (Tinh Bien district, An Giang province) covers an
area of 42,407m2. On the ground surface, it appeared numerous pieces
to +3m, that bears the trace of the early trade port.
Stage 3: the vestiges were distributed in the new alluvial low-
of coarse pottery, stone axes, stone round pieces, flake and other relics.
In the investigated hole, excavated in 2008, the size of 1.5m2, the
lands, where manual manufacture and trade exchange developed
strongly. They have the structural characteristics of city, trade port .
archaeologists determined the cultural layer which contains stone axes,
bracelets, graterand 11,184 pieces of coarse pottery and 12 pieces of
3.2. Type of vestige
3.2.1. Habitition vestige
bones, horns of the deer. In 2015, once more relics were surveyed and
evaluated similarly.
The group of residential vestige on the ancient alluvial terrace:
Dwelling on reinforced soil terrace is the common residential style, it
- Go Cay Sung site (Tinh Bien district, An Giang province) cavers
an area of 11,000m2. In investigated holes that deployed in the area,
has thick cultural layer and accumulates into high mounds.
The group of residential vestige on the low mound-bank: the form
vestiges were found such as two axe-shaped pieces, one axe-broken
of reinforced soil terrace continuously exist, the staying style on the
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Ba The complex site, there are two types:
piece, two pieces of graters, a earthware medal, a spout and a piece of
Type 1: It is rounded cylindrical shape, one end has four small
pronged pedestal.
metal pot; 1 pottery bowl, 3 pottery pots, 1 pottery piece with round
shape, 1.419 rough pottery pieces, 02 pieces of porcelain, animal bone
Type 2: 12 artifacts, it has cylindrical square shape, elongated and
shrunk at one end. This type of pedesta is found in K9, its character is
... They are similar to pre-Oc Eo vestiges in this area.
* Go Cay Trom site (Nhon Hung commune, Tinh Bien district,
close to that of the pottery pedestal found in Go A3 habitation site (Oc
Eo-Ba The) but it is smaller in size and its pottery material is coarse
An Giang province) is located in the north of Cam mountain, on a low
mound area with a wide distributed space, about 11,000m2.
sand of type 2, different from in botanic residue mixed husk material of
pottery pedestal in Go A3.
Vestige was excavated in 2008 with an area of 1.5m2. Through its
result, archaeologists determined the cultural layer of residential relic
Spindle whorl: 02 artifacts, they were discovered in Go Cay Tung.
One of them is conical shape, that is characteristic of the spindle whorl
which was accumulated in the soil layer mixed black gray sand, with
thickness 0.5m,it contains a lot of pottery pieces, including 294 pottery
found in deposit layer of the Metal age in the Southern Vietnam.
2.2.5.4. Pottery group that has exotic origin
pieces made from sand and organic material, pottery bone is thin gray
black, in addition there is 01 axe with shoulder ... They are close to
It is hard pottery with printed pattern, the pottery style from coastal
in Central Vietnam was found in Go Cay Thi. The artifacts such as
other vestiges of pre-Oc Eo in the area.
- Phum Quao site (Tri Ton District, An Giang Province) was
bowl, pottery jar with flared large rim made of sand pottery material
were found in Linh Son Nam jar burial and Go Oc Eo, Go Cay Thi
discovered in the 1980s and surveyed several times, it has a distribution
space of about 3-4 hectares. Through the results of the survey, a cultural
habitation layer... They are close to the type of bowl discovered in Hoa
Diem site (Khanh Hoa province).
layer thicker than 1.3 meters is identified, it contains a lot of pottery
fragments, animal bone, stone objects... These bear characteristics of the
Kalanay pottery style: The fragments were decorated with convexindent embossed style or imprinted of shell’s edges, or pointed
typical residential relic,characteristics of the typical relic that are close
to the vestiges in the region.
geometric motifs... On the fine sand pottery background, it is covered
with a dark brown coat that is characteristic of Kalanay pottery, it is
-Go Me-Go Sanh site (Ba Chuc Town, Tri Ton District, An Giang
Province) spreadsin an large area around 4 hectares.
similar to the same pottery found in the Philippines, the central coast of
Vietnam to the Gulf of Thailand (Tho Chu island, Ko Samui island…).
The vestige was discovered in 1988 and surveyed in 2008 and
2015. Thereby a accumulated cultural layer is identify edits thickness
2.3. Summary of Chapter 2
Chapter 2 systematizes and classifies of all materials, vestiges and
from 1.2m to 1.6m. Its gray sandy soil layer contains a large number of
pottery fragments, such as pots, jars, cups, earthen stove, bowls... They
relics of pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo in the TGLX region.
The vestiges are grouped according to the
characteristic
have typical characteristics of late proto-historical pottery which are
highly similar with Go Cay Tung (phase II) and Giong Xoai pottery.
distribution that is associated with the terrain of the three areas,
- Go Dam Po site (Tri Ton district, An Giang province) is located
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on a mound of about 150m2, it was discovered in 1988 and surveyed in
(K3a, K3b),brim is shallow disc shape (K2b, K2c).
2008. On the surface of the vestige, there are plenty pottery fragments
that have the same characteristics like pottery of pre-Oc Eo vestige in
+ High cups: 1,230 fragments were found in cultural stages 2 and 3
of pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo complex site in TGLX. Cups are
these areas such as Phum Quao, Go Cay Tung, Go Me - Go Sanh ....
- Go Chau Thi site (Tri Ton District, An Giang Province) is
structured with two containing parts and the base. The container is deep
and connected to the flat and slightly flared base; the middle part,
located on an area of low mounds, about 3 hectares, its composition is
gray sandy soil. The test pits in 2014 revealed a cultural layer. In its
between the containing part and the base is low cylinder, it includes
three types:
3.5metters thickness of gray sandy soil there are pottery fragments of
containing odjects (jar, pot/vase, bowl) and earthen stoves...
Type 1: The containing part is bowl-shape and deep, with narrow
bottom. The base isslightly flared and flat, the rim of the base is wide
* Group of vestige in Thoai Son-Nui Sap area
- Oc Eo-Ba The complex site (Oc Eo town, Thoai Son district, An
and sharp edges.
Type 2: the containing part has vertical rim, the body and the
Giang province) is a complex of various vestiges of different stages of
development from pre-Oc Eo to Oc Eo and post-Oc Eo ...
bottom form a sharp angle. The base is slightly flared and flat, not often
create sharp edges.
- Giong Xoai site is a sandy sand ridge, with low terrain and it
stretches to northeast-southwest direction.
+ Covers: there are 786 pieces, the cover has disk shape made
from fine pottery material type 6. There are three types:
In this area, a lot of important vestiges and relics which belong to
Oc Eo culture were found. At the same time, a residential cultural layer
Type 1: The disk shaped cover is large size (diameter 20-22cm),
the inside of the cover has large-hook rim, there is a handle in the
of pre-Oc Eo was found. It contains fragments of pottery objects for
daily utensil that includes two kinds of coarse and fine pottery such as
center. The surface of the cover’s rim has progressive parallel lines.
Type 2: The disk shaped cover is medium size (diameter 14-
jars, pots, large bowls, earthen stoves. The vestige is classified as preOc Eo stage and it is the first convergent point in Oc Eo-Ba The.
18cm), the inside of the cover hassmall-hook rim. The surface has the
indented-spiral grooves flowing from the inside out.
+ Go Oc Eo site was discovered under the architectural layer of
developing Oc Eo stage, it is an residential accumulated layer in the
Type 3: The disk shaped cover is medium and small size (common
diameter 10-13cm), there is a handle in the center with cap shape.
black and muddy soil layer, it containspottery piecesof pots, jars, high
cups,earthen stove, pieces of tile, glass beads, precious stones…
2.2.5.3. Manufactured tools, made from terracotta
Mushroom-shape pottery: with a rounded cylindrical handle, the
+ Go Cay Thi vestige is the largest-scale mound in the center of
the “ancient town” Oc Eo. At the mound, the foundation of two Hindu
using side is flat rounded, the bottom side is convex curve. This type of
trowel was found in pre-Oc Eo vestiges in Nui Sam-Bay Nui area and
monuments were buit by bricks and stone on the base that were
reinforced on the ground reinforced thoroughly. Underneath the earlier
Oc Eo field, they are tools used in manufacturing pottery.
Pottery pedestal: 15 artifacts are collected, they were discovered at
cultural layer, the accumulated black mud layer contains pottery such as
the sites of Go Cay Tung, K9, Phum Quao, Go Me-Go Sanh and Oc Eo-
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continuously existed in the third stage with some technical changes and
pots, jars, cups, covers, portable pottery hearths (earthen stoves)…
reduced of number. Earthen stove type 3 came from second stage and
beside earthen stove type 2,it continued to be popular in third cultural
- Vestige of early Oc Eo in the slope and foot of Ba The
mountain
stage; earthern stove type 3 has styling and technical features that are
close to those featured of earthen stove in the developing Oc Eo cultural
+Linh Son Nam site is located in the space of the group sites of
Linh Son pagoda temple (Oc Eo-Ba The complex site), it is a jar burial
stage in the 4th -7th centuries AD.
Fine pottery:
belonged to the early cultural layer which is lies under the architectural
layers of the Oc Eo cultural period. A large jar, using a removed base
broken shoulder It includes pottery types of bowls, vases, jars, pot,
jar/vessel with shapes, high cups...
bowl to serve as its cover. Inside the tomb, there are five golden beads,
one broken agate bead and ruins of organic matter. Outside the tomb,
+ Pottery vase, pot: It includes two types.
Pottery type 1: It is pottery pot that its rim isbend-over and curved,
there is a fine pottery pot.
+Go Tu Tram site is located at the foot of Ba The mountain. At
with narrow shoulder and down shoulder.
Pottery type 2: it is pottery jar that its rim is obliquely bend and
this site, the excavations from 2001 to 2008 have found the stratigraphic
column with 2.6 - 3.2 meters thickness, it contains the accumulation of
flared (brim type 7d), spherical body (stage 2 culture).
+ Pottery pots: It includes pottery jars with spherical body and
three stages of continuous development from early Oc Eo to late Oc Eo.
The early cultural layer manifests the relationship of pre-Oc Eo stage
broken shoulder shape.
Pottery type 3: it is pottery jarthat its rim is obliquely bend and
with pottery characteristics which closely related to second stage of Go
Cay Tung pottery, Giong Xoai, K9, Go Hang, Go Dung, Go O Chua, …
flared (brim type 7e-f-g), its base is slightly flared vertically or
obliquely (type 2a), it includes two types: type 3a (spherical jar) and
2.1.3. Pre-Oc Eo vestiges in Ha Tien-Rach Gia area
- Giong Cu vestige (Vinh Phu Commune, Kien Luong District,
type 3b (broken shoulder jar ).
+ Deep bowl with round base: It is pottery type 4, pottery material
Kien Giang Province) is located on a low mound with an area of about
3,000m2. The vestige has been surveyed and excavated several times.
is type 5 and 6, type of rimis type 4b-c-d-e and f. Pottery type 4 is
divided into four small categories that reflects the transition between
On the surface, archaeologists recognized and collected pottery pieces
of daily utensil such as pots, jars, vase/vessels, semi-spherical large
stage 2 and stage 3.
+ High stem cup- It is pottery type 5, pottery material is type 5, its
bowls, high stem-cup, perdiform pottery container... which were made
mainly of pottery materials and coarse hard sandy grain, others were
containing part has disc shape or rim has bend-flange and its base is
high,it consists of two types:
made of black smooth organic materials…
- K9 site (Hon Dat district, Kien Giang province) is distributed in
Type 5a: high stem cup base is lightly flared (base K1a),
containing partis more compatible with rim type K2d.
an area about 250-450m each side. There are traces of wooden stakes,
pottery fragments of daily utensil, metal jewelry, glass, precious stones
Type 5b: The base is lightly flared, with small cylindrical waist
... which were exposed densely in modern ditches (about 0.2m deep).
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9
The site has distributed on low mound in the gate region of an ancient
shown on the shoulder of shallow pottery bow similar to Kalanay
river, especially on the ancient “lung” (a name of the ancient flow).
The site was excavated in 2006 (56m2) with deposite of cultural
pottery style.
- Coloured pottery: It appeared and was very popular from first
thickness of 0.4-0.6m. It contains various pottery pieces, square and
round-cylindrical objects, animal bones, jewelry (agate, carnelian, glass,
stage of Go Cay Tung vestige. Colors of red, russet or yellow-brown are
used on the rim, the shoulder, and the surface’s base of pottery
lead or tin)... There are 4,627 pottery fragments of fine and coarse
pottery (vases, pots, jars, high stem cups, cover, earthen stoves…).
containers, especially fine pottery of type 5 and 6 is very common in the
second and third cultural stages.
+ Xoa Ao site (Thuan Yen hamlet, Ha Tien town) was discovered
in 2013. This site distributes on an area about 2 hectares. A lot of
2.2.5.2. The typical pottery types in pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo
vestige in Tu Giac Long Xuyen region
pottery pieces, wooden house-stakes, wooden prow of the boat, stone
tools, metal objects and pieces of grinding sandstone. Pottery includes
Coarse pottery:
- Group of containers with disc shape or deep-bow, there are 3
pots, jars, bowls, high stem cup, earthen stove similer to K9 pottery.
2.2. Artifacts
types of pottery (pottery type 1, 2 and 3).
- Group of pottery containers with spherical body consists of 07
2.2.1. Stone artifacts
There are 205 artifacts, in which 163 tools, 27 pieces of stone
types (type 4 to 10), such as spherical pots with oblique-flared rim,
large spherical pottery jar with low oblique-flared widen rim and thick
bracelets, 02 stone discoid cores (stone disc left over from the
manufacture of stone bracelets) and 13 agate and carnelian beads.
rim’s edge, spherical pottery vase with curved oblique-flared rim...
- Group of small vessel hemispherical shape or“crucible/
2.2.1.1. Stone tools
Among 108 stone tools, that are 64 without shoulder tools, 27
metallurgical vessels” with the pottery bone is raw and very thick. Most
of this type of relic is found in the pre-Oc Eo vestige in the area of Nui
shoulder tools and 17 pieces of its.
Stone tools are made by phtanite, its sides were beveled or curved.
Sam-Bay Nui, in which Go Cay Tung has been excavated and found
1,145 pieces. They appeared in both cultural stages with four types of
One edge was slightly curved and beveled from one side, its shape is
like semi-circular or nearly like the trapezium.
changed rim from type 1 to type 4 that clearly reflects the orderly
development from early to late with inheriting between stages.
Stone axes include axes without shoulders and axes with shoulders.
Axes without shoulders: There are 64 objects, in which
In Oc Eo-Ba The and Da Noi complex sites, on the surface of the
sites, some specimens of crucible also collected that are similar with
quadrilateral short body axes, flared-edge axes, trapezoidal-shaped axes,
axes with round cylindrical body and rectangular axesor nearly
type 4 at the 2nd stage of Go Cay Tung.
Earthen stove: There are 6,444 pieces, including 3 types
rectangular axes.
Axes with shoulders: There are 17 objects in which axes with
corresponding to 3 stages of Pre-Oc Eo and early Oc Eo culture.
Earthen stove type 1is characterized of the first stage of Go Cay Tung.
sharp shoulders, balanced shoulders and drooped shoulders.
Earthen stove type 2 is characterized of the second stage and
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Oc Eo in TGLX (from 69.2% to 93.7%). It is created from the process
2.2.1.2. Tools for stone processing
of shaping the pottery products by using the technology of the tablet
press and chock. The rope-mark is mainly pressed from the body-
Statistics shows that 62 objects were popular found in pre-Oc Eo
vestige in the TGLX region, including grinding (46); griding with
shoulder to the bottom of the container. The shoulder, the upper part of
the body up to rim, is glazed for coloring or decorating of the line-
grooves (03), cored griding (01). They were made from from coarse
sandstone, fine light-gray sand stone to fine dark-gray sandstone.
carved pattern.
Stricken knot mark pattern: it appears in small number in Giong
2.2.1.3. Stone bracelets
* Group of jewels made from slate: 27 artifacts were found in Go
Xoai habitation site, its pattern is very smooth stricken knot mark like
fiber grass or hay stem.
Cay Tung (25), An Phu (01) and Go Oc Eo (01). The stone bracelet
have several section such as isosceles triangle, flattened triangular
Printed pattern: there are 05 hard pottery pieces with fine sandy
grain, the surface was imprinted with coconut leaves and square shaped
(disk-shape) or nearly square and nearly round. 02 discoid cores were
discovered in the deposite cultural of Go Cay Tung site, which are
pattern like typical pattern of Chinese pottery in Han Dynasty.
+ Decorated pattern: It is formed by technique of scratching,
waste products from technique of sawing stone bracelet.
* Group of gemstone beads: There are 6 agate banded beads, 07
embossing, edge shell printing...
Scratched pattern: It has a low ratio of the total number of pattern
carnelian beads in round-shape or lozenge-shape ground to hexagon…
2.2.2. Glass jewelry. Six small glass beads were found at K9 site and
pottery pieces (from about 6-10%), but very rich and featured in the
type of designs, there are 08 kinds of designs that’s cratched by the tool
nine similar were found at Go Cay Thi site, all of them are
monochromatic belonged to the Indo-Pacific type. Among them, there
with one spike, two spikes and four to six sharp strokes.
In scratched technique, there are many kind of techniques. In the
are three multisalah beads made by lada technique.
2.2.3. Metallic artifacts
1st and 2nd stages, it was generally used of single and double lines to
show continuous curves, serrate lines (triangles), oblique lines…fish-
2.2.3.1. Golden 05 golden beads are burial supplies in Linh Son Nam’s
jar burial, they are oval shape or polygonal shape and small size.
bone shaped lines.
The 3rd stage was popular with decorating style of scratched
2.2.3.2. Leaden and tin
- Rings: 03 artifacts were discovered at K9, they were made by
pattern by using a numerous spearhead tool to create pattern, which is
typified of wave-shaped pattern, wave-shaped continuously bending up-
casting technique of forming metallic bar with round section and
bending to open circle.
down ... using method of rotating compass is the premise of waterwave shaped pattern, askew wave-water shaped pattern... It was popular
- Finger-ring: 01 artifact was discovered in the cultural layer of Go
Cay Thi. It is round smooth finger-ring (diameter 1.7-1.9cm).
in the developing Oc Eo stage of Oc Eo culture.
+ Printed pattern: It has the form of coconut leaves or small
2.2.4. Earthenware
2.2.4.1. Terracotta statues
squares or shell edges. Pressing shell-edge on fine sand pottery are
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02 artifacts were discovered in Go Cay Tung site, that are statues
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of herbivore (stag or deer), but its head and four legs were broken.
smooth and equal pottery bone, it is used on the typical utensils, there
2.2.4.2. Roof tiles
- Indian roof tile style (rectangular-shaped tiles) 65 pieces were
two types:
Type 5: It is fine black pottery, its pottery bone is dark gray, its
found in the residential cultural layer in Go Oc Eo vestige (25), Go Cay
Thi (01), Go Tu Tram (39). On the surface there are 6-7 parallel
outer surface has a thick white gray coat or coloured/glazed a thin
glossy black coat or thick opaque white gray coat. It is used to make
troughs, with holes on the top.
- Trough-shaped tiles: 03 pieces were discovered in Go Tu Tram
vases, jars, highleg bowls.
Type 5 was popular in pre-Oc Eo vestige, but it was much reduced
habitation site, with a long trough-shape. At the two ends, there are
small horizontal embankments.
during early Oc Eo stage. In TGLX region, K9 site has a high
proportion of 21.3%, the residential layer of early Oc Eo stage at Oc
2.2.5. Pottery
2.2.5.1. Classification
Eo-Ba The complex site has a rate of 4.3%.
Type 6: it is fine orange potter, its composition is very fine and
a) Material: There are two groups of coarse pottery and fine
pottery.
well-filtered clay, its pottery bone is yellowish-brown or yellowishbrown. The surface of the pottery coat is usually smooth, glossy, orange
* Coarse pottery: There are 04 types, its composition is fine sand
or coarse sand, fibre...
and yellow or reddish brown. Pottery material of type 6 is small
quantity in second cultural layer of Go Cay Tung. There aresome
Type 1: In the residential cultural layer of Go Cay Tung, there are
301,019 pottery pieces, its pottery bones are equal, its pottery coat were
fragments of jar’s rim, vase’s spout, cup’s base, ..., but commonly
existed in most of pre-Oc Eo vestige in Nui Sam-Bay Nui area such as
glazed and often coloured with light yellow, russet or ivory, it is
generally called the traditional coarse pottery of Go Cay Tung.
An Phu, Go Me-Go Sanh, Phum Quao, Go Chau Thi ... This type of
pottery at K9 site is accounted for 8.5% of the total, the amount of this
Type 2: It appeared in second cultural stage, the composition of
pottery bone is coarse sand. K9 site has 2,378 pieces (accounting for
pottery fragments in the early Oc Eo stage at Oc Eo-Ba The is 47.6%.
b) Type of rim, base and pottery pattern
52% of the total).
Type 3: It is fine-grained pottery, it is quite close to pottery type 1,
-Type of pottery rim: There are 9 types of pre- Oc Eo pottery rim,
each is identified through the shape of the rim and the type of its basic
but pottery bone of type 3 is black and softer, its surface was not glazed
and its coat is the same colour as pottery type 1. There are only 155
container corresponding to the bowl, deep pottery bowl with base and
without base, pot, jar, high cups ...
pieces pottery type 3 in K9 (3.4% of total).
Type 4: It is black porous botanical pottery. This pottery type
- Pottery pattern:
+ Technical pattern: there are types of stricken-rope pattern and
appeared in 2nd stage of Go Cay Tung with very little quantity<0.1%,
while in K9 is 14.8% and early culture layer in Oc Eo-Ba The is 17,2%.
scratched pattern.
Stricken-rope pattern has biggest number on the total of pottery
* Fine pottery: its composition is fine well-filtered clay, it has
pieces with pattern that is recorded in the vestiges of Oc Eo and early
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