VietNamNet Bridge - A farmer in the central province of Thanh Hoa found a bronze drum 2,000-2,500 years old while building the foundation of his house near the Ho Dynesty Citadel.

Last week, while digging soil to build the foundation of his house, Mr. Trinh Van Loan in Cau Mu village of Vinh Long commune, Vinh Loc district, Thanh Hoa province unearthed a bronze drum.

The drum has a diameter of 59 cm and a height of 43 cm. The surface is decorated with a 12-pointed star.  Part of the drum surface and the legs were broken due to oxidation.

Researchers believe that the artefact might be a Heger Type I drum (in the Dong Son culture) which appeared about 2,000 – 2,500 years ago. 

A metal sword blade with a length of about 40cm was also discovered beside the drum. 

The Conservation Centre for the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, a world heritage site near the place where the drum was found, said scientists will continue researching the origin and value of the artefact. 

Dong Son drums are iconic items of the ancient Vietnamese’s Dong Son culture, a Metal Age archaeological culture. They are usually big and have well-proportioned shapes, showing high production skills and aesthetics of the ancient people. 

The Dong Son culture got its name from Dong Son village on the bank of the Ma River in Thanh Hoa province. A number of bronze drums were found by chance in 1924, marking the first evidence of the culture's existence.

Cau Mu is an ancient village, over 1km far from the Ho Dynasty Citadel – a world cultural heritage site - to the southeast. Previously, some ancient bronze drums were discovered in this region.

On September 26 the local authorities came to the farmer’s house to check the ancient drum, which will be seized for preservation under the Heritage Law.

T. Van