Văn Hóa Sa Huỳnh
French version
Vietnamese version
Renowned for its salt marshes and beautiful beach, Sa Huỳnh (*) located in Quảng Ngãi province (Central Vietnam) is also the region where the French archaeologist Mr. Vinet discovered in 1909, not far from the An Khê marsh in Long Thạnh, a strange deposit of 200 funerary jars from a brilliant maritime civilization with the help of a Cham inscription. Thanks to a fortunate coincidence, Mrs. Labarre, wife of a local customs office controller and passionate about archaeology, had the opportunity to resume archaeological excavation in 1923. She soon found another deposit of 120 intact terracotta jars on top of coastal dunes near the village of Phú Khương in the same region. A third site of 187 jars, later reported by the French archaeologist Madeleine Colani in 1934, was located in Tràng Long on a sand dune locally called the « necklace plateau » because of the enormous quantity of necklaces found there.
She was also the first archaeologist to use the scientific term Sa Huỳnh to attribute it to this culture. Then it was the turn of the Swedish archaeologist O. Jansé to discover in 1939 at Phú Khương (Sa Huỳnh) a necropolis of 84 jars. This discovery was revealed late in a brief report. Then further south, near Xuân Lộc, at Hàng Gòn (Long Khánh, Đồng Nai), Dầu Giây, and Phú Hoà, fields of jars similar to those of Sa Huỳnh were discovered despite their location in the area belonging to the Đồng Nai civilization (Văn hóa Nam Bộ) during recent works by E. Saurin (1973) and H. Fontaine (1972).
Earings
(*) Originally, the name Sa Hoàng was given to this region.
As the word Hoàng was the first name of Lord Nguyễn Hoàng,
the Nguyễn Dynasty subsequently changed Hoàng to Huỳnh.
It is observed that these are from the Sa Huynh culture era, with radiocarbon datings performed on charcoal debris and shards contained in these jars. One must not forget to mention the fields of large monolithic jars and enigmatic funerary stones of Trần Ninh (or Xieng Khouang) (Laos), dubiously attributed to the 1st century AD by Madeleine Colani (1932), which continue to keep all their secrets to this day and leave us with an insatiable curiosity about the connection and influence they might have with the Sa Huỳnh culture. This culture was supposed to have originated from the stone jar culture of Trần Ninh, according to Madeleine Colani in her work titled « Megaliths of Upper Laos. »
Contemporary with the Dong Son civilization in the Red River Delta, this one was flourishing along the Vietnamese coast in central Vietnam (from Thừa Thiên Huế to Ninh Thuận, Bình Thuận) between 1000 BC and 200 AD before the Hinduization of the coastal region. Its sites were largely discovered near dunes, ponds, and rivers. For this reason, it is also called the « civilization of dunes and ponds » (or Văn hoá cồn bàu in Vietnamese). Its traces have been found not only in the Central Highlands (Tây Nguyên) but also in the Cù Lao Chàm archipelago (Quảng Nam), Cù Lao Ré island (Quảng Ngãi), and the islets of Nha Trang (Khánh Hoà), which clearly proves that the people of the Sa Huynh culture were excellent navigators.
Its close contact with the Đồng Nai civilization was no longer in doubt during the excavations carried out at the Giồng Phệt and Giồng Cá Vồ sites (Cần Giờ, about fifty kilometers from Saigon) because some prominent elements of the Sa Huynh culture were found there in terms of pottery and ornamentation. The decoration methods found in the Sa Huynh culture are done either by incision or by impression but rarely by painting. The dotted decoration is very common. It is sometimes incised with crossed lines, on the shell or dotted linearly in triangular areas. The colors frequently used are red and lead black (đen ánh chì). It is believed that as early as the third millennium BC, a common decorative repertoire was established in Southeast Asia (frequency of the double spiral, saw teeth, dotted lines, sinuous bands with hooks, alternating or inverted triangles, etc.) which visibly flourished on the jars and pottery of Sa Huynh.
The sites connected or closely related to the Sa Huynh culture often drew inspiration from it or used it. This is the case with the Kalanay cave on Masbate Island (Philippines), where, according to William Solheim II, discovered burials yielded pottery similar to that of Sa Huynh. However, the Vietnamese archaeologist Hà Văn Tấn believes that this hypothesis needs to be further explored with additional evidence, although it is likely. The Buni culture, which developed from 400 BC to 100 AD on the northern coast of the western part of Java Island, is characterized by clay pottery with incised and geometric decorative patterns, also showing similarities with that of the Sa Huynh culture.
1): W.G. Solheim, 1964, The archaeology of central Philippines. A study chiefly of the iron age and its relationships ,
Manila, National Institut of Sciences and Technology, monograph 10.
(2): Theo dấu văn hóa cổ. Hà Văn Tấn. Nhà Xuất Bản Khoa Học xã hội Hà Nội, Hà nội 1998
Inside these jars, a wide variety of pottery of different shapes and sizes can be found: pots, bowls, buckets, vases, small cups, plates, pots, etc.; decorative objects: beads made of glass and hard stones (carnelian, agate, garnet, zircon, titanomagnetite, etc.) and ear ornaments. These are shaped like split discs made of stone, glass, serpentine, or nephrite. Sometimes, gold necklaces and earrings are found (Lai Nghi, Hội An 2004). In some Sa Huynh sites, three-pointed earrings (Khuyên tai ba mấu nhọn) as well as zoomorphic pendants (Khuyên tai hai đầu thú) representing two conjoined animal protomes are also discovered. These very original adornments thus constitute one of the characteristics found in the Sa Huynh culture.
Similar earrings have also been found in Thailand (U Thong), the Philippines (in the Tabon caves), and on Botel Tobago Island south of Taiwan. Even in 1974, a two-headed earring was discovered at Xuân An on a Dong Son site near the bank of the Lam River. Questions arise about the animal depicted on these pendants because, according to Edmond Saurin, visually, one might think it represents a donkey. But this equid did not exist at that time in Indochina. As for the horse, it was banned from export and only known from the 4th century in Champa during the exchange of gifts and tributes with the Chinese emperors. However, according to German archaeologist Andreas Reneicke, who is passionate about Sa Huynh culture, the equid in question is none other than the saola, the rarest bovine that scientists discovered in 1992 in the Annamite Range (Trường Sơn) and whose disappearance had long been announced.
Is it a local imitation of an imported model as suggested by some specialists? It is evident that through these findings, we see not only a very intense commercial exchange at that time with other regions of Southeast Asia but also the know-how, creativity, and aesthetics of the Sa Huỳnh people, reflecting both a genuine enthusiasm and an extraordinary commercial proliferation.
All the funerary furniture is often associated with iron tools (spear points, knives, sickles), polished axes, polishers, etc., scattered around these jars. But it is rare to find bronze objects. This is also another striking feature of the Sa Huỳnh culture characterized by the abundance of iron in the jar burials. This proves a certain precocity of the Sa Huỳnh culture compared to the Đông Sơn culture, as the latter, analogous to Chinese culture, used iron only later during the Âu Lạc kingdom period (257 B.C.). Although iron was known in China in the 7th century B.C., it only became commonly used under the Han dynasty (20 B.C. – 220 A.D.). It is not surprising to find this precocity on the Sa Huỳnh side because it is known that they were in early contact with India, where iron arrowheads and spear points found are dated to 1025 B.C.
No contradiction is noted because in this coastal area of central Vietnam, the Hinduized Champa kingdom (Lin Yi) emerged in the 2nd century AD, with its capital located at the Lồi citadel in Huế after the bloody revolt led by a certain Khu Liên against the Han (or Chinese). It is still believed that the populations of the Sa Huynh culture, originating from the Austronesian people, were the proto-Chams, the ancestors of today’s Chams (an ethnic minority in Vietnam).
In the funerary jars, more or less abundant shards are always found, but it appears that they come from various pottery deliberately broken before being placed inside. Similarly, the deceased’s objects were also damaged except for the ornaments (earrings, beads), which remained largely intact. According to some specialists, the ritual breaking of the deceased’s objects is a well-known and widespread practice in Indochina. However, during excavations, no bone or tooth fragments were found in the jars. It is evident that these were intended to contain the ashes of the deceased collected from a cremation pyre that took place elsewhere. The role of these Sa Huynh jars is clear. Their purpose is solely to contain remains from secondary burials and remnants of cremations.
This is not the case for the analogous jars found in the Đồng Nai culture, as traces of human bones (skulls, teeth, long bones, etc.) are discovered in them. In certain burials, the deceased’s body remained intact and folded upon itself inside the jar, resembling a fetus. (Nguyễn Lân Cường, 1995).
According to the Vietnamese anthropologist Lâm Thị Mỹ Dung, the contact established by the Sa Huỳnhians was not the same for each partner country. It was primarily based on trade and religion with India, whereas with China, besides trade, politics played a predominant role. As for the Đông Sơn people (or the ancestors of the Vietnamese), migration southward by sea and trade remained key elements in their relations with the Sa Huỳnhians. Many Chinese artifacts (bronze mirrors, tableware, coins, etc.) dating from the Han dynasty were discovered in Sa Huỳnh cemeteries (Lai Nghi, Gò Dừa, Bình Yên). According to the Japanese researcher Momoki, Champa, the territory where the Sa Huỳnh culture was born, was not only a necessary gateway taken by the Malayo-Indonesian populations to access the Chinese world but also the place that allowed Vietnam and the Philippines to be in contact with the Indianized world.
On the other hand, the purpose of exchange with the rest of Southeast Asia (Thailand and Burma, for example) remains unknown. We do not know their navigation technology and the techniques used in the construction of ancient boats, but according to Chinese literary sources, Austronesian expeditions were very frequent during the first millennium AD, and their maritime performance was undeniable. (Manguin 1994: pp 181-192).
Similar to the Dongsonian civilization, the Sa Huỳnh culture had a notable influence beyond its geographical area in Southeast Asia. Thanks to their generosity in sharing goods with the dead and their custom of honoring them through the performance of certain rites found in jar burials, the Sahuynhians revealed their identity to us and allowed us to better understand their culture and traditions, which nearly were forgotten and buried under the sand dunes in central Vietnam. Despite recent discoveries, many questions remain unanswered. Where does the Sa Huỳnh culture come from? Who are the owners of this culture? So far, history and Cham inscriptions have been relied upon to deduce that the Sahuynhians were probably the ancestors of the Chams because within the territory defined by the Sa Huỳnh culture was the ancient kingdom of Champa, whose birth took place in the 2nd century AD.
Were the Chams really the descendants of the Sa Huynh people or were they conquerors who chased and pushed the latter into the mountains? The presence of the Vietnamese in the territory of the Funan kingdom does not justify that they were the descendants of the Óc Eo civilization, one of the three brilliant civilizations in the current territory of Vietnam. According to the Vietnamese archaeologist Hà Văn Tấn, there is still a long way to go for both Vietnamese and foreign archaeologists because the origin of the Sa Huynh culture is not entirely clarified. For the Vietnamese archaeologist, there was probably a long process of evolution similar to what was done for the Đông Sơn culture. This culture was the result of several stages of cultural evolution spanning at least two thousand years. It originally stemmed from the Phùng Nguyên culture, followed by the Đồng Đậu culture, which was eventually replaced by the Gò Mun culture before reaching the first Iron Age in the Red River basin without any break in its evolution. The owners of the Đông Sơn culture were indeed the proto-Vietnamese, the ancestors of the current Vietnamese.
The Sa Huỳnh culture remains a mystery for most scientists. Is the Sahuynhian an acculturation resulting from contact established over centuries between the Austronesians (chủng Nam Đảo) and the Austroasiatics (chủng Nam Á)? There is speculation about the cultural link that the Sahuynhian might have with the jars of Trần Ninh (Laos) or with the Bàu Tró culture (Quảng Bình) because, according to Hà Văn Tấn, the latter possessed certain characteristic elements of the Sa Huynh culture (the red and black lead in the pottery decoration, for example). The Bàu Tró culture probably made a significant contribution to the formation of the Sa Huynh culture. It could be one of the sources of the Sa Huỳnh culture.
But from Bàu Tró to Sa Huynh, there are missing intermediate stages that archaeologists have not yet been able to find. That is why it is important for them to clarify this hypothesis in the coming years with excavations of pre- or proto-Sahuynhian sites.
Bibliographie
Notes d’archéologie indochinoise. VII. Dépôt de jarres à Sa Huỳnh (Quảng Ngãi, An Nam).BEFEO, Tome 24, 1924, pp 325-343
Les recherches préhistoriques au Cambodge, Laos et Vietnam (1877-1966). E. Saurin. Asian perspectives ,XII, 1969
Le champ de jarres de Hàng Gòn près Xuân Lộc. Edmond Saurin, BEFEO, Volume 60, No1, pp 329-358
Évolution préhistorique de la péninsule indochinoise d’après les données récentes. Edmond Saurin, J.P. Carbonnel. Paléorient 1974, Vol 2, no1 pp. 133-165
Theo dấu văn hóa cổ. Hà Văn Tấn. Nhà Xuất Bản Khoa Học xã hội Hà Nội, Hà nội 1998.
Nouvelles recherches préhistoriques et protohistoriques au Vietnam. Hà Văn Tấn, BEFEO, Tome 68, 1980,pp. 113-154
Introduction to Sa Huỳnh. William G. Solheim II. Asian perspectives. 1959. Tome 3