Ancient boats found under fishpond in Vietnam

Two ancient wooden boats in remarkably well-preserved condition have been found under a fishpond in Thuan Thanh, a town in the northern Vietnamese province of Bac Ninh. Discovered at a depth of 13 feet, they have not been precisely dated yet, but their design are typical of the Giao Chi region when it was ruled by the Han Dynasty of China (ca. 111 B.C.- 203 A.D.).

The boats first came to light in December 2024 when a local man uncovered the top edges of them while digging down into an old fish pond to restore it to function. He informed authorities and the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to collaborate with the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Archaeology began an emergency excavation of the site on March 3rd.

When the tops of the boats first emerged, archaeologists thought it was a shallow, single-log design, like a dugout canoe, but after 20 days of excavation, they have revealed themselves to be made of solidly-crafted timber planks. One boat is about 50 feet long seven feet wide; the other is slightly smaller at about 46 feet long and five feet wide. They were found parallel to each other about six feet apart. A wooden beam connects to both bows, suggesting the two maneuvered as a single boat, an unusual structure that would have made it more powerful in the water.

The hulls are divided into six compartments of varying depths and widths, with the deepest reaching five feet. The compartments were filled up with sand and mud, and archaeologists removed each layer from each compartment separately, then washed them through filters in designated areas to recover any artifacts and organic remains. Numerous fruit seeds were found in the compartments, as were several artifacts. Analysis of the remains will determine what kind of cargo the compartments were holding, what kind of fruits and even which region the fruit trees that bore them were grown in.

The fishpond is on the Dau River about half a mile from the ancient citadel of Luy Lay, the first major urban center in what is now Vietnam. Archaeologists believe that their location on the river and proximity to Luy Lay suggests the vessels were involved in the transport of goods along the major trade network that flourished in northern Vietnam.

According to historical records, Western and Southern countries wishing to trade and interact with China had to pass through Giao Chi. Since before the Common Era, and especially from the 2nd to 3rd centuries CE, increasing numbers of foreign merchants arrived at Giao Chau, with their boats frequently docking at Luy Lau. Archaeological evidence and historical documents at Luy Lau confirm that it was a major international commercial hub during the Northern domination period.

“These boats have yet to be definitively dated, but they could be solid proof of the trading activities along the Dau River,” Dr. Trieu emphasized.

The excavation will continue until April 3rd, after which the priority will be the preservation of the ships and their delicate wood. It will have to be kept saturated with water to keep it from rapidly deteriorating for now before long-term conservation.

* This article was originally published here