HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội’s Culture-Sports Department has sent a letter urging the city’s People’s Committee to preserve an archaeological site dating back to 1,000 BC in the western outskirts of Hà Nội.

The letter quotes recent media coverage saying the “earliest residents area [named Vườn Chuối in Lai Xá Village, Kim Chung Commune, Hoài Đức District] of the city are on the verge of being erased”.

The dispatch also mentions Prof Nguyễn Văn Huy’s opinion on the site. Huy is the former director of the Việt Nam Museum of Ethnology. The letter asks: “the authorities should take urgent actions to protect the site”.

The archaeological site is of Đồng Đậu culture, from about 3,000 years ago, and was first excavated in 1969. Since then, the site has been excavated several times, the most recent in December 2013 by the department in co-ordination with the Hà Nội Social Sciences and Humanity University.

The objects found through excavations include stone, bronze and ceramic objects of Đồng Đậu culture.

Đồng Đậu culture is one among four periods of Đông Sơn civilisation – from the early stages of the Bronze Age to the early stages of Metal Age. Đồng Đậu Culture dates back to 1,500-1,000 BC.

Traces of the culture have been found in the northern midland region. Sites in Hà Nội include Thành Dền site (Mê Linh District) and Chàng Communal House (Đông Anh District).

Experts work at Vườn Chuối excavation site, in Hoài Đức District, Hà Nội in 2013. Photo dantri.com.vn

Officials from the department on December 5 examined the site with representatives of Hoài Đức District’s People’s Committee.

At present, the whole Vườn Chuối site is located in a Thăng Long 9 Construction Company-invested urban building project.

No buildings have been constructed as yet and some families are growing vegetables on the project’s area. Near the site, some enterprises have dumped industrial and construction waste.

The department asked the Hà Nội People’s Committee to send letters to ask the Project Management Board of Thăng Long 9 Construction Company and the Việt Nam Joint-Stock Trading and Construction Co-operation to implement proper measurements to protect the excavation site until the Hà Nội People’s Committee issues a final decision on the site. 

During the construction process, if workers find antiques, they should hand the objects to Hoài Đức District’s People’s Committee.

The building investors should work with local authorities to propose solutions to protect the site.

Local authorities will also tightly control the renovation and building process around the site to gather antiques if any were unearthed.

The department also asked the city’s authorities to organise gathering of materials on the exactions, hold examinations by experts, organise workshop to judge their value and propose protection methods for the site. — VNS