2,300 bronze drum mold fragments found at Vietnam citadel

Archaeologists excavating the Luy Lau ancient citadel in Vietnam have unearthed more than 2,300 fragments from molds used to make bronze drums during the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400). The Dong Son bronze drum produced from these molds were not just musical instruments; they were venerated as sacred objects. They were also masterpieces of ancient metallurgy.

Located 20 miles east of present-day Hanoi, Luy Lau was the first capital of the Giao Chỉ region, from 185-225 A.D., ruled by the Chinese Han Dynasty (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.), from 111 B.C. to 106 B.C. The citadel was the first major urban political, commercial and religious center in what was then the land of Dau and is now Vietnam. There was an inner citadel and an outer one, and archaeological excavations have found the remains of grand buildings — pagodas, palaces, monuments — as well as evidence of daily life — housewares, ceramics, cooking tools. It was also Dau’s largest city; the west-east perimeter of the inner citadel alone was 590 feet wide and 360 feet from north to south.

The citadel had a thriving ceramic industry, producing pottery with fine green glaze for the royalty and aristocracy of the country. The Luy Lay potters also created a red glaze line that was long erroneously attributed to manufacturers in the southern Red River region. Luy Lau glazed ceramics were also used to create architectural materials for temples and palaces. The traditional pottery lines continued to be made until the 17th century, but after a long period of abandonment, the ancient craft was revived in the 20th century, inspired by archaeological discoveries and an enormous amount of trial-and-error to recreate the glazes from scratch. Today, researchers and craftsmen in the Bac Ninh region work to preserve the traditional techniques and develop modern production of the ancient pottery lines.

The production of cast bronze dovetailed with the production of ceramics, as the molds were ceramic. The first fragment of a bronze casting mold was found at the citadel in 1999, and since then mold fragments from as early as the 4th century have been unearthed. The molds were made in different sizes and patterns that would be impressed into the drum surfaces. Some of the motifs were circles, parallel lines, rice flowers and feather shapes.

The 2024 excavation focused on an area of approximately 645 square feet, and dug down about 4.5 feet deep. Within this relatively shallow trench, archaeologists found layers from five historical period ranging from the Luc Trieu period (3rd-6th century) to the early Nguyen period (19th century).

Among the artefacts found was a large outer mould of the drum face, with full decorative floral motifs from the centre of the drum to the outer rim, along with mould pieces from the drum’s body and feet.

This is the first time a significant collection of artefacts from the Trần Dynasty has been found. They were dispersed across the upper layers of the site, indicating that the Luy Lâu citadel area was in use for an extended period during the Trần Dynasty.

According to excavation findings, experts have confirmed that Luy Lâu was a significant metallurgical and bronze casting centre. It will reveal more about the bronze drum casting techniques of ancient Việt Nam and the influence of the Đông Sơn culture throughout the nation’s history.

* This article was originally published here