Phu Chanh sets of wooden weaving hold timeless values

The Phu Chanh sets of wooden weaving include twenty three items discovered at the archeology site of Phu Chanh and under display at provincial museum. The sets hold not only historical and cultural values but also the original documents for scientists to keep on researching for more knowledge about social lives of ancient Vietnamese on Binh Duong land.

The items found at Phu Chanh archeology site include the Phu Chanh sets of wooden weaving under display at provincial museum

Thousands of age

Le Van Phuoc, Director of Provincial Museum informed that the sets of tools were buried and discovered at the site of Phu Bung Hamlet, Tan Uyen town. The discovery was made in 1995. In 1995, 1998 and 1999, scientists discovered 3 cooper drum of Phu Chanh. At the continual discovery of cooper drum in Phu Chanh, by November 2000, Provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with Center for Archeology Researches under Social Science Academy of Ho Chi Minh City (now Social Science Academy of Southwest Region) carried out the excavation to discover additionally 1 copper drum and 3 wooden cups among various valuable items including the sets of wooden weaving tools.

To carry out deeper research of Phu Chanh archeology site, by April 2001, the Center continued to excavate the site and collect more buried items including the weaving tools. So as to affirm archeologist values of the discovered items, the province coordinated with related units to hold a scientific conference with attendance of various archeologists, culturists, and ethnologists. Through the collected items, the scientists affirmed the origin of the sets of tools by the third century B.C. to the first century A.D.

Values contained

According to Le Van Phuoc, the tools are valuable and rare. First of all, the unique value is that they were first ever explored in Vietnamese archeology. The items are intact within the stable cultural cluster of an archeologist in Vietnam and Southeast Asia up to date. Besides, the tools are unique as it was created as burial items to follow the dead. By historic data, it could be affirmed that those are wooden looms that some ethnic groups in the high land of Vietnam and Southeast Asia are still using. As for wooden materials, it is relatively hard to excavate such intact items after over 2,000 years underground.

The items of Phu Chanh wooden weaving tools

As for historic values, Phu Chanh wooden weaving tools were found underground at the place of immigration burying of ancient residents. It was special that the tools were discovered at the same time with 4 other Dong Son cooper drums, Western Han mirror, and wooden burial cups. At the place, wooden cups of copper covers, wooden cups of pottery covers, and clay burial hubs with various other unique items. It could be affirmed that the archeology discovery in Phu Chanh showed the values of science and history that are unique in the land of Binh Duong through history. It was prominent that the burying methods showed an exchange of cultures within the ancient communities in Southeastern Region along with remains under Dong Nai culture while the burial method by using cups was inspired by Sa Huynh culture along the coastal land of Vietnam. The high-rising cups were in relation to Oc Eo culture in the Southwest and copper drums derived from brilliant Dong Son culture of the ancient Vietnamese.

“Those are evidence contributing to historical researches of the land of Binh Duong and South Region. The scientific values are the basis for to identify the wooden weaving tools,” said Phuoc.

It can be affirmed through the items that local ancient residents had been so skillful at sculpturing in highly developed handicraft community. Particularly, the appearance of fabric weaving and tools similar to high-tech weaving techniques. The first ever colorful fabric made by those tools by skillful handicraft was discovered at Phu Chanh site, showing the then highly developed society. The weaving profession discovered at Rua-Doc Chua islet with ceramic shuttles and those tools in Phu Chanh was in the process of nearly 1,000 years. It is proved that weaving profession in Binh Duong has been a continual process after the events at Doc Chua. Thereon, we could see that Binh Duong is the center of weaving profession at the ancient land of the South. The wooden weaving tools of Phu Chanh has its cultural and artistic values contributing to the expression of ancient residential lives in Phu Chanh, Binh Duong. Thereon, we can affirm that the ancient residents of Phu Chanh had rich material lives and the civilized lives existed even over 2,000 years ago.

Beside the above values, the tools contain scientific values and materials for researches in natural and social sciences. Those are new archeologist materials in the researches of daily lives and production of ancient communities in Southeastern Region, showing advancement of technologies of ancient residents. Those items contributed to the bringing up new awareness of ancient lives in the land.

It is hopeful that, the values of Phu Chanh wooden weaving tools are that for the time to come, Provincial Museum has one more national relic.

Reported by Hong Thuan – Translated by Vi Bao