Researchers work on the newly excavated tomb. — Photo thuonghieuvaphapluat.vn

HÀ TĨNH — An ancient tomb dating back 1,400 years has been unearthed in a field in the central province of Hà Tĩnh's Nghi Xuân District, archaeologists have announced.

The arch-shaped tomb made of kilned bricks of different sizes was discovered at an irrigation construction site while workers were digging a canal through cultivation areas in Xuân Hồng Commune last week.

The discovery was immediately reported to the local heritage management unit.

Initial research showed the relic is an ancient Han tomb built during the Chinese Sui-Tang Dynasty more than 1,400 years ago.

The tomb was found 2m deep underground and measured 4m in length, 1m in width, and 1.2m in height. 

The bricks that were used to build the tomb were in the form of a square box or grapefruit section usually used for building arch-shaped architectures.

The grave is located in the heart of a stream, on the flow of an irrigation canal which is under construction in Xuân Hồng Commune.

Part of the tomb is unearthed with layers of bricks built in form of arch-shaped architecture. — Photo huonghieuvaphapluat.vn

The construction works, unfortunately, have caused some damage to the dome revealing part of the tomb, most of which was buried under the soil.

Some locals in the commune said they had found similar tombs in their gardens or during the process of building houses.

Many others said the same type of Han graves had been found in other localities in Hà Tĩnh.

The discovery of the ancient tomb in Xuân Hồng Commune has created favourable conditions for archaeologists to study more about the Han tombs in Hà Tĩnh.

Earlier, experts found similar tombs in other localities in plain areas of Hà Tĩnh such as Đức Thọ, Cần Lộc, and Nghi Xuân districts. The discovery provides archaeologists more foundation for researching ancient Vietnamese burial traditions.

In 1996, a boat-shaped tomb made from a tree trunk dating back to the 13th century was discovered at a construction site in a mountainous area in Hà Tĩnh.

The tomb was found at a depth of 3m in Ngàn Trươi Hydroelectricity Plant, in Đức Đồng Commune, Đức Thọ District.

That was the first time such a boat-shaped tomb was found in a mountainous area in the province. It showed ancient Vietnamese people resided in both flat areas and mountains in early times, archaeologists said. — VNS