An ancient brick tomb unearthed during construction work at a primary school in northern Vietnam is now preserved and displayed at the Ninh Binh Provincial Museum, offering visitors a rare glimpse into burial practices dating back nearly two millennia.

Known as the Gia Thuy brick tomb, the archaeological structure is believed to date to the third century AD and features distinctive architectural elements associated with Han-style burial traditions.

The tomb is currently housed at the museum's first facility, where its surviving structure and artifacts are presented to visitors.

Ancient tomb discovered during school construction

According to the Ninh Binh Provincial Museum, the discovery occurred in December 2019, when workers were excavating land to build additional classrooms at Gia Thuy Primary School in the former Nho Quan District, now part of Gia Tuong Commune, Ninh Binh Province.

During the excavation, an excavator operator unexpectedly exposed an ancient brick structure buried underground.

Local authorities subsequently reported the discovery to relevant agencies and cultural heritage officials, who conducted an initial site assessment.

Their preliminary findings identified the structure as a brick tomb, a type of burial architecture found in Vietnam from the first to the tenth centuries AD.

In February 2020, the Ninh Binh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with the Institute of Archaeology to carry out an emergency excavation.

The tomb was located on an ancient mound approximately 550 meters east of the Boi River.

Three chambers and a Han-style vaulted roof

Archaeologists found that the tomb had a rectangular layout and a vaulted roof characteristic of Han-style burial architecture.

Its interior was divided into three sections: a front chamber, a middle chamber and a rear chamber.

The front chamber was intended for burial offerings, while the rear chamber was used to accommodate the deceased.

The structure was aligned along a north-south axis, with its main entrance facing north.

In front of the entrance, archaeologists identified a sloping passageway that had originally provided access to the burial chamber.

This passage had been filled with soft, fine-grained gray sandy alluvial soil.

The passageway had an isosceles trapezoidal cross-section, measuring 1.68 meters wide at the top, 1.44 meters at the bottom and 0.7 meters in height.

The tomb walls were constructed using a single course of lengthwise-laid bricks, while the main entrance incorporated three courses and the entrance to the rear chamber had two.

Its architectural design reflects the sophisticated construction techniques associated with brick tombs of the Han period.

Distinctive bricks and evidence of repeated disturbance

Excavations revealed that the tomb had been disturbed multiple times, both by illegal treasure hunting and modern construction activities.

The structure was built using two main types of bricks: rectangular bricks and wedge-shaped bricks, traditionally described in Vietnamese as resembling segments of a pomelo.

Both types were dark red with pale yellow mottling.

The rectangular bricks were used for flooring and walls, while the wedge-shaped bricks formed the vaulted roof.

The tomb floor was paved with rectangular bricks and sloped gently from the interior toward the entrance.

It was also constructed on two levels, with the rear chamber floor raised above the front chamber by approximately the thickness of one brick.

Although parts of the structure had been damaged, the surviving architectural features enabled archaeologists to identify its original layout and construction methods.

Bronze mirror and gold bead among surviving burial objects

Many of the tomb's original burial offerings had been lost, apparently as a result of repeated disturbances.

Nevertheless, archaeologists recovered several significant artifacts.

These included a bronze mirror, a heavily deteriorated bronze basin, one gold bead, three gemstone beads and numerous fragments of glazed pottery and stoneware.

The surviving objects, together with the tomb's architectural features, provided important evidence for determining its age.

Based on these findings, archaeologists preliminarily dated the tomb to the third century AD.

Its division into separate chambers for human remains and burial offerings was consistent with architectural characteristics commonly found in Han-period brick tombs.

Although no human remains survived, researchers were able to make preliminary assessments of the tomb owner's possible social status.

Tomb may have belonged to a wealthy official or noble

Based on the dimensions of the burial mound, the coffin enclosure and the remaining grave goods, archaeologists believe the tomb may have belonged to someone of relatively high social standing.

Possible occupants include a Han official or aristocrat, or a member of the local elite whose burial practices were strongly influenced by Han culture.

The use of a vaulted brick structure and the inclusion of objects such as a bronze mirror and gold bead suggest that the burial involved considerable resources.

However, without surviving human remains or inscriptions identifying the deceased, the tomb owner's identity remains uncertain.

The findings nevertheless provide valuable evidence of cultural influences and social distinctions in northern Vietnam during the early centuries AD.

Second brick tomb discovered nearby