The mystery still lies underground

The Cham tower ruins in An Phu commune, Pleiku city, Gia Lai province were excavated twice by the Center for Archaeology (Southern Institute of Social Sciences) in collaboration with Gia Lai Provincial Museum in 2023 and 2024. Notably, during the second excavation, archaeologists discovered a "Sacred Pit" with the central part located in a circular frame, built with bricks arranged in the shape of a swastika, along with many valuable artifacts.

Golden Kamandalu vase - Photo by Xuan Toan

Many mysteries remain unsolved

The “sacred pit” or “sacred treasury” is the center of the Cham tower, where the worshiping objects were placed when the tower was first built to “sacredly” the structure. Inside the “sacred pit” in An Phu, archaeologists found a set of artifacts that were offerings, especially a rectangular piece of gold engraved with ancient characters, the content of which refers to the Buddhist verse “Duyên khởi”; a Kamandalu vase placed on an 8-petaled gold flower and dozens of artifacts made of glass and precious stones.

The excavation results have basically outlined the appearance of an ancient Cham temple tower in An Phu commune. The An Phu relic is identified as consisting of a main temple in the center with an architectural scale of about 7m wide on each side, the surrounding wall is about 32-33m in scale, creating a unified architectural complex. This is a Buddhist temple dating back to around the 9th-10th century.

So, is there anything left to study and explore in the Cham tower relic area in An Phu? According to researchers, there are still many mysteries deep underground that have not been excavated. The report of the French School of the Far East in 1928 (page 605) said: To the East is the Bomon Yan tower (number 150 in the list). The tower can be recognized from afar by the arches and crossbeams connected to the door holes on the entrance gate. The special construction technique of the Cham people helps the arches to be tightly connected without the need for recording. The three stone blocks of the altar are still upside down at the location of the ancient tower, making this architectural block even easier to recognize. In particular, there used to be a statue of a person sitting in a leisurely posture like a king (numbered 5 in the 1925 inventory) which is currently kept in the warehouse of the French Consul in Kon Tum.

In the center is the Ron Yan tower, separated from Bomon Yan by a stream, near a Catholic chapel. The tower is located on a high mound, the surrounding fence system has collapsed, fragments of statues are scattered on the ground. Here, people found two feet of a bronze statue, currently kept in the warehouse of the Kon Tum Consul. Unfortunately, the current state of the Ron Yan tower is not intact as described by researcher MH Maspero. All the bricks on the tower's surrounding wall have been removed, leaving behind ruins.

Sacred Pit structure of An Phu relic. Photo: Xuan Toan

To the west is a smaller structure, built on mounds of earth known locally as “burial mounds”. This structure may be a remnant of the demolition of nearby structures, now hidden in the surrounding bush. It is located to the west of the two previous sites and about 400m from the Ron Yan Tower.

Thus, the Plei Wao village area (now An Phu commune) has not just one but a complex of three architectural works located on the East-West axis, about 400m apart. The An Phu ruins, which were recently excavated in 2023 and 2024, are one of those three works. So where are the other two works?

According to the book “History of Gia Lai from its origins to 1975” (Social Sciences Publishing House, 2019) edited by Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Van, the Cham tower in the An Phu area is located in Phu Tho (now An Phu commune, Pleiku city). Priest Nguyen Hoang Son said that the foundation of this tower is currently located under the foundation of Phu Tho church. If this information is correct, the second Cham ruin may be located under Phu Tho church.

The straight-line distance from the recently excavated Cham ruins of An Phu to Phu Tho church is about 710m - relatively consistent with the report of the French Institute of the Far East of about 800m. Thus, the third ruin could be located at the midpoint on the straight line connecting the ruins of An Phu with Phu Tho church.

Opportunity to decode the mystery of An Phu Cham tower

The author next to a stone block originating from the Cham ruins of An Phu at Phu Tho church. Photo: XH

If the information reported by the École Française d’Extrême-Orient in 1928 and the information provided by priest Nguyen Hoang Son are correct, the location of the third Cham ruin could be located at the midpoint on the straight line connecting the An Phu ruins with the present Phu Tho church. The distance between the first and last structures is about 800m, in accordance with historical records.

The discovery of the third ruin not only helps complete the picture of the Cham tower complex in An Phu but also is an important evidence of the development and influence of Cham culture in the Central Highlands. If in the future archaeologists continue to expand excavation and research, it is likely that the mysteries of the Cham tower ruins in An Phu will be solved, contributing to clarifying a part of the cultural history of the Cham people in Gia Lai.

Hopefully one day, the mysteries of the Cham tower ruins in An Phu will be revealed, helping future generations better understand the development and influence of Cham culture in the Central Highlands region.

Ngo Xuan Hien (Dan Toc Newspaper)

Source: https://baophutho.vn/phe-tich-thap-cham-o-an-phu-pleiku-bi-an-van-con-nam-trong-long-dat-229895.htm