BẮC NINH — The National Museum of History and Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bắc Ninh Province has reported preliminary results from the excavation of the Luy Lâu ancient citadel.

The archaeological team collected more than 2,300 pieces of bronze drum moulds during the excavation.

Among the artefacts found was a large outer mould of the drum face, with full decorative floral motifs from the centre of the drum to the outer rim, along with mould pieces from the drum's body and feet.

This is the first time a significant collection of artefacts from the Trần Dynasty has been found. They were dispersed across the upper layers of the site, indicating that the Luy Lâu citadel area was in use for an extended period during the Trần Dynasty.

According to excavation findings, experts have confirmed that Luy Lâu was a significant metallurgical and bronze casting centre. It will reveal more about the bronze drum casting techniques of ancient Việt Nam and the influence of the Đông Sơn culture throughout the nation’s history.

Experts said it is crucial to continue excavating and researching this workshop site in the ancient Luy Lâu citadel to gain a thorough understanding of the activities related to metallurgy and bronze casting in this area.

Luy Lâu is an ancient fortress situated along the Dâu River, serving as the administrative centre of the Giao Chỉ District and the capital of Giao Châu. It was a key hub for politics, economy, commerce, and ancient religious activities in northern Việt Nam in the first ten centuries AD.

This is one of the largest urban areas in northern Việt Nam, with a rich and diverse number and type of relics and artefacts compared to other relic sites across the country that were active in the same period of history.

Luy Lâu Citadel has attracted the attention of domestic and foreign archaeological researchers. In 1999, Dr Nishimura Masanari from Japan discovered the first bronze drum mould in the inner citadel area.

In 2014, the National Museum of History, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bắc Ninh Province, and the University of East Asia, Japan, jointly excavated and discovered traces of a metallurgical and bronze casting workshop, finding hundreds of bronze drums moulds and related objects. — VNS