Preserving intact the original values ​​of the ancient road in My Son, Quang Nam

After completing the exploration, excavation, and archaeological survey of the thousands-year-old architectural ruins of the path, in the East of Tower K, part of the My Son World Cultural Heritage Complex (Duy Phu Commune, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam) in early April 2024, the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board and the Institute of Archaeology (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) have developed a conservation plan to both protect the original values ​​of the ancient road intact, and meet the needs of visitors for sightseeing and research, preventing the relic from being damaged, affected by weather factors, or lost artifacts; urgently completing scientific documents to include the newly discovered ancient road in My Son in the Master Plan for conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​of Quang Nam province for the period 2024 - 2030, with a vision to 2035.

Based on practical assessment, experts proposed urgent conservation plans for the road: using materials compatible with the original materials of the ancient road to build underground drainage works from the excavation pit to the outside, digging trenches to cut off rainwater from the northern hillsides, preventing rainwater from flooding the road, building shelters and soft fences.

Associate Professor, Dr. Ngo Van Doanh, former Deputy Director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences) said that urgently protecting the ancient road from the impact of factors such as weather and climate, especially when the rainy season comes, is an urgent task.

In response to the scientific proposals of experts, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Quang Nam, together with units of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Duy Xuyen district and the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board, carried out three key tasks: preserving the intact status of the ancient road that has been discovered; completing the scientific dossier of this road; including this road in the Master Plan for conservation and promotion of cultural heritage values ​​of Quang Nam province for the period 2024 - 2030, with a vision to 2035.

Preserving the original values ​​of the newly discovered ancient road helps clarify the value of previously unknown architectural works in My Son; at the same time, contributing new documents, supplementing a more complete and comprehensive scientific dossier on the cultural - historical - architectural space of My Son is an urgent task. The techniques and experiences in the process of restoring the temples in the My Son World Cultural Heritage complex carried out by Indian and Vietnamese experts in the past are also carefully consulted to apply to the restoration and preservation of the original values ​​of the ancient road. The artifacts found during the archaeological excavation such as glazed ceramics and terracotta are important artifacts that serve as the basis for assessing the age of the ancient road in the most reliable way. These artifacts are being carefully preserved at the My Son World Cultural Heritage Management Board.

The newly discovered ancient road lies on the path leading from Tower K to the center of My Son relic site.

During the exploration, excavation, and archaeology in early April 2024, experts found the foundation of an ancient road dating back thousands of years, equivalent to the age of Tower K in the My Son Heritage Complex. The road is made of compacted soil, 9m wide, more than 150m long, and is identified as the main road that ancient Cham people used to enter My Son to perform rituals thousands of years ago...

Source: https://baodantoc.vn/bao-ton-nguyen-ven-cac-gia-tri-goc-cua-con-duong-co-o-my-son-1718083663470.htm