Excavating 2 ancient boats under the pond in Bac Ninh

Previously, at the end of November 2024, during the renovation of a fish pond of more than 1,000 square meters, people discovered two wooden boats at the bottom of the pond. The location where the ancient boats appeared is on the ancient Dau River, a branch of the Thien Duc River - Duong River, flowing close to the west bank of Luy Lau Citadel.

The discovery location is about 1km from Luy Lau citadel, about 600m northeast of Dau pagoda; about 500m from To pagoda (worshipping Buddha Mother Man Nuong) as the crow flies.

Mr. Nguyen Huu Mao - Director of Bac Ninh Museum and Tourism Promotion said that the urgent excavation of this relic was carried out from March 3 to April 3 on an excavation area of ​​300 square meters.

Currently, about 20 people are excavating the two ancient boats every day. Pumps are used to draw water from the ground to carry out the excavation.

The two boats were very large. Each boat was 16m long and had a width of between 1.95m and about 2m. Inside the boat were 6 compartments of varying depths, the deepest being 1.5m.

This is the first time Vietnamese archaeologists have seen two boats with a very solid structure connected together by a wooden bar at the bow. Thanks to this unique structure, the boat becomes even more interesting, attracting the attention of people, scientists, and boat scientists throughout the country.

Dr. Pham Van Trieu, Deputy Head of the Historical Archaeology Department, Institute of Archaeology - the person in charge of the excavation, said that this is a very valuable discovery in terms of history and culture. "Although the exact age cannot be confirmed, according to the rule, if it is a dugout canoe, it usually dates back early in history," Dr. Pham Van Trieu informed.

Some pictures of the two boats recorded by the press:

The excavation process is being carried out carefully and meticulously to ensure the preservation of the artifacts. Photo: VietNamNet.

Close-up of the ancient boat excavation area in Bac Ninh. Photo: Lao Dong Newspaper.

Photo: VietNamNet.

On the afternoon of March 18, directly inspecting the site and listening to reports from relevant parties, Chairman of the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province Vuong Quoc Tuan requested the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Institute of Archaeology to continue excavation, clarify data, and evaluate the overall value of the age, nature, and regional and area connections of the ancient boat relic.

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism plans to organize a workshop, inviting experts to participate in research and debate to have an accurate assessment of the value of the ancient boat relic. The local government has a plan to ensure security and safety in the excavation area and the ancient boat relic; and to propagate to the people about the protection of cultural heritage.

NL (synthesis)