Fisherman Uncovers Over 2,000-Year-Old Bronze Drumhead

The artifact was uncovered by Dang Van Trac when he was fishing on the Hau River. Photos: thanhnien.vn

A bronze drumhead dating back about 2,000 - 2,300 years ago in the Dong Son civilisation has been discovered in the southern province of Dong Thap.

Belonging to a drum of Type Heger I, the 7.6kg head measures 63cm in diameter and features images of a 12-point star and six birds flying counterclockwise alternated with lines and tangent circles, Thanh Nien (Youth) newspaper cited the Dong Thap Museum.

The drumhead was found by a resident in Vinh Thoi commune of Lai Vung district when he was fishing on the Hau River in March this year. He handed over the item to the Dong Thap Museum in late April.

The artifact has a certain value in cultural and historical studies of burial in prehistoric times.

So far, a total of 164 artifacts have been recognised as national treasures in Vietnam.

According to Nguyen Minh Phuoc, director of Dong Thap Museum, in the near future, the museum will display the newly discovered bronze drum and 26 artifacts to raise public awareness about historical and cultural conservation.

Dong Thap Museum proposes leaders of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to award VND 14 million and certificate of merit of provincial People's Committee to the resident who handed over the artifact.

The concentric drumhead has a 12-point star and it is simply decorated with 6 peacocks flying counterclockwise.

The Dong Son Civilisation got its name from Dong Son village on the bank of the Ma River in the central province of Thanh Hoa, where a number of bronze drums were discovered in 1924, marking the first evidence of this civilisation.

It existed between the 7th century BC and the first - second century AD. Its vestiges have been discovered in various localities, mainly in the basins of the Red River in the north, the Ma River in Thanh Hoa, and the Ca River in nearby Nghe An province.

They have also been excavated in central, Central Highlands and southern regions, as well as some other Southeast Asian countries.

Dong Son bronze drums (also called Heger Type I drums) are iconic items of the Dong Son culture, a Metal Age archaeological culture, exemplifying the fine metalworking of the age.

The drums have been used as bronze musical instruments and traditional ritual objects since the time of Van Lang nation – the first nation in the history of Vietnam.

They are usually large, well-proportioned and decorated with patterns depicting ancient Vietnamese people.

According to the Dong Thap Museum, the artifact is dated between the third and the first century BC (about 2,000 - 2,300 years ago).

Dong Son bronze drums (also called Heger Type I drums) are iconic items of the Dong Son culture, a Metal Age archaeological culture (700 B.C. – 100 AD), exemplifying the fine metalworking of the age.

A relatively intact bronze drum believed to belong to the Dong Son culture, originating in Vietnam over 2,000 years ago, has been discovered in Timor Leste in 2015. Photo: VNA.

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