HÀ TĨNH — Hà Tĩnh Museum has announced the discovery of four pottery items created some 800 years ago at a location in Nghi Xuân District, central province of Hà Tĩnh.

The pottery includes two pots, a disk and a small bowl. The items are in their original shape, but with some vague cracks on their surface.

The museum staff said on Wednesday the two pots are in the same size and type.

They are locally called “elephant feet” pots because of their shape. The pots are decorated with light, small embossment lines.

The disk is 15cm in diameter and carved with a 19-petal chrysanthemum flower, which is covered with a celadon layer. The bowl is also covered with celadon on its surface and decorated with a simple chrysanthemum flower and leaves.

The museum staff said they discovered the items in the garden of Lê Đình Tý, a local resident in the district’s Xuân Trường Commune. The items were found 50cm underground near an old tomb.

According to the museum, the discovery is significant for proving the presence of Vietnamese in the land nearly a millenium ago. The museum supposed the items were produced in the period between Lý Dynasty (1009-1225) and Trần Dynasty (1226-1400).

The museum is showcasing the items at its facility.

Earlier in June, the museum staff discovered 27 metal and pottery items also in Nghi Xuân.

They included the metal farming tools and weapons belonging to Đông Sơn Civilisation, which lasted from 1,000BC until the first century AD; bowls of the Trần era, pots of the Nguyễn era (1558-1945) and also jars of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Most of the metal items found did not remain in their original shapes, while the pottery was in good condition.

Nghi Xuân, where the items were found, is the home district of many outstanding intellectuals and mandarins in the imperial time and gifted people today, including the author of The Tale of Kiều Nguyễn Du and mandarin Nguyễn Công Trứ. — VNS