HA NOI (VNS)  — An ancient stele monument, recently excavated in Thanh Hoai Village in the northern province of Bac Ninh's Thuan Thanh District, is believed the oldest ever found in the country.

Dating to between 314BC and 450BC, the stone stele monument includes a square foundation, which was originally a thick stone slab.

According to the archaeologists who joined the excavation, they had never previously unearthed sharp-shape stele. However, the top of the 2m-high monument was broken.

There were also many thickly pockmarked signs on both faces of the stele, causing damage to much of the carved scripts. Currently, only 300 scripts are readable.

The Bac Ninh Provincial Museum will complete the research of the monument before displaying the ancient object for public viewing.

Last year, a stele dating to 601 AD – the oldest at that time – was found in the province. — VNS