Pure gold Linga - a 'unique' treasure under the ancient tower

Binh Thuan Found at the Po Tam tower relic more than 10 years ago, the golden linga, dating from the 8th-9th century, is being strictly protected at the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum.

The golden linga was discovered during an archaeological excavation at the Po Tam temple complex, Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district in 2013. The cylindrical artifact was crafted using the technique of hammering and cladding, 6.6 cm high; the body diameter is nearly 5.5 cm; the rim diameter is 6 cm; weighs more than 78 grams, with more than 90% pure gold, the rest is silver and copper.

Lingas are important objects of worship in ancient religious architectural relics of the Champa culture in Central Vietnam and other ancient cultures in the Southeast Asian region. Lingas depict the male genitalia, symbolizing the source of life and fertility. In Brahmanism, Lingas symbolize Shiva, the god of destruction and rebirth.

The golden Linga is being strictly protected in the antiquities warehouse of Binh Thuan Museum. Photo: Trung Hoa

Researcher Nguyen Xuan Ly, former director of the Binh Thuan Provincial Museum, retired - who directly participated in the archeological excavation at Po Tam tower, said that the golden linga was discovered by chance. At that time, when the group of more than 20 people were working, a worker shouted, causing everyone at the construction site to gather to watch. That worker discovered a yellow object, similar to precious metal, lying about half a meter deep under a layer of soil mixed with gravel and broken bricks.

Experts from the Southern Institute of Social Sciences then excavated and brought up a yellow metal relic. To keep the relic confidential, after making a record of the scene and other procedures according to regulations, Mr. Ly requested that the relic be quickly brought to the provincial museum before sunset.

"Linga is a Cham people's object of worship. If it is left in place for too long, people may gather to worship it, causing a complicated situation," the former director of Binh Thuan Provincial Museum explained.

The work of escorting the artifacts to safety was quite urgent. At around 3 p.m., after receiving the order, Mr. Uong Trung Hoa (the excavation supervisor) packed the artifacts and put them in his backpack. Carrying the treasure on his shoulder, he drove his motorbike straight from Tuy Phong to Phan Thiet, a distance of more than 100 km. "At that time, the road was also deserted, so I drove fast. After more than an hour, I brought the artifacts back to the museum," Mr. Hoa said.

Archaeologists and representatives of the indigenous Cham community at the excavation site at Po Tam tower, Tuy Phong district, 2013. Photo: Binh Thuan Museum Documents

A few days later, a conference was held at the excavation site of Po Tam tower. The event was organized by archaeologists from the Southern Institute of Social Sciences and Binh Thuan Museum, with the participation of local Cham dignitaries and intellectuals.

Through appraisal and seminars, scientists confirmed that this is a pure gold Linga, of high purity, dating back to the 8th-9th century (the same period as the Po Tam tower). The artifact has high aesthetic value, demonstrating the talent of the goldsmiths of that time and the cultural identity of Champa. The gold Linga was found intact, without any cracks, but the surface was dented in many places.

"The main value of this Linga is not because of its high gold content, but because of its structure, rarity and craftsmanship," said Mr. Ly, adding that up to now, most of the artifacts of this type found were made of stone. The Linga discovered at Po Tam tower is a unique artifact, the only case of a Linga made of gold metal in Champa culture.

According to researcher Nguyen Xuan Ly, the golden Linga treasure is an important scientific document not only for archaeology, but also has great value for research on history, culture, fine arts, diplomatic relations, religion, metallurgy, goldsmithing... of the ancient Champa kingdom.

Some ceramic and metal artifacts were also found during the excavation of Po Tam tower in 2013. Photo: Viet Quoc

After more than 10 years of being discovered, in January 2024, the Golden Linga was recognized by the Government as a national treasure. The ceremony to announce the Prime Minister's decision to recognize the Golden Linga as a national treasure is expected to be held at the Po Sah Inư Tower relic (Phan Thiet City) during the upcoming Kate Festival 2024.

Mr. Doan Van Thuan, Director of Binh Thuan Provincial Museum, said that due to lack of exhibition space, this precious golden Linga is being strictly preserved in the museum's antique warehouse on Ba Trieu Street, Phu Trinh Ward, Phan Thiet City.

Recently, the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province has assigned the cultural sector and local police to develop a plan to protect and ensure security and safety for the treasures. When displaying and exhibiting, there must be close coordination between the provincial museum, local authorities and the police force.

The Po Tam Tower relic (international name: Po Dam) is located at the foot of Ong Xiem Mountain, Lac Tri village, Phu Lac commune, Tuy Phong district. This group of towers was built in the Hoa Lai style of the 8th-9th century. Initially, these towers worshiped the god Siva, and in the 15th century, they also worshiped King Po Tam (Vietnamese name: Tra Duyet), who had great merit in helping people with irrigation and agricultural cultivation in the region.

In the early 20th century, French archaeologist Henri Parmentier surveyed and studied Po Tam tower. At that time, due to lack of excavation conditions, he only surveyed and measured the structures above ground and concluded that the tower group had only 6 towers, the two northern towers had collapsed, leaving only a base about one meter high.

After more than a century, Vietnamese archaeologists discovered two new tower bases. Both had collapsed and been buried for centuries, so no one knew. From there, Cham culture researchers had grounds to affirm that the Po Tam temple tower group had a total of 8 towers, 4 collapsed, 4 were restored to their original appearance.

During the 2013-2014 excavation, in addition to the ruins of the tower bases and other architectural elements found, archaeologists also discovered a large number of stone, ceramic, terracotta, metal and grinding table relics. In addition, a stone inscription in Sanskrit (ancient Indian language) dated 710 was also discovered, which has historical value.

Vietnam

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/linga-vang-rong-bao-vat-doc-nhat-vo-nhi-duoi-nen-thap-co-4728246.html