Ceramics, terra cotta and stone artefacts collected from an archaelogical excavation at two sites at the foot of Hải Vân Pass in Đà Nẵng. — Photos courtesy of Đà Nẵng Museum

ĐÀ NẴNG — A collection of 88 artefacts, including ceramics, terra cotta and stone excavated at two sites at the foot of the Hải Vân Pass between May and August, was delivered to the Đà Nẵng Museum for storage and further research.

The Đà Nẵng Management Board of Monuments and Landscapes said the excavation at Chơn Sảng Garrison and Nam Chơn Station, which were important defensive military posts on the Thiên Lý (North-South) route through the Hải Vân Pass, was carried out jointly by the board and the Institute of Archaeology under the Việt Nam Academy of Social Sciences.

Bricks collected from an excavation at the 19th-century Chơn Sảng Garrison and Nam Chơn Station at the foot of the Hải Vân Pass.

The archaeological excavation provides historical information on the role of the two military posts from the 19th century, helping to build a dossier for the eventual recognition of the archaeological sites.

Archaeologists said the preliminary evidence partly unveiled the links between the two sites to regional defence during the resistance to attacks on Đà Nẵng by the French-Spanish coalition that began in 1858.

The management board reported that the 45-day excavations helped expose sections of outer ramparts, stone walls, dikes, defensive ditches, stone-reinforced terraces and architectural foundations, along with 964 artefacts.

A piece of carved sandstone found at one of the defensive military posts from the 19th century in Đà Nẵng.

Archaeologists found a sandstone statue and a sculptural relief carving with ancient Champa inscriptions that are believed to date from the 8th century, the management board said.

The two military posts, which played a key role in protecting the North-South road under the Nguyễn Dynasty, were drawn on a military map of Đà Nẵng’s defences from the reign of King Tự Đức (1847 to 1883), and were listed in French as fort royal de Nam Kin (Nam Chin) and fort de Kien-Chang (Chin Song) along with the famous fort du Mamelon (Định Hải).

A hand-over ceremony for the collection of 88 artefacts excavated at the two sites was held at the Đà Nẵng Museum.

The two sites are close to the Hải Vân Gate, a military fortification complex of brick gates from the King Minh Mạng (1791-1841) era, dating from around 1826.

They were built as part of a larger defensive system, including the Điện Hải Citadel, a National Special Relic, and the An Hải fortress. The military outposts helped control and defend the strategic seaport gateway on the Hàn River during the reign of King Gia Long in the 19th century. — VNS