Since 1996, the National Museum of Vietnamese History in coordination with the branch of Culture and Information of Thanh Hoa has carried out several times the study, exploration and archaeological excavation of the site of Lam Kinh. The study is carried out carefully, with stages of exploration and excavation on a large area. The result is that the general plan of the site of
Since 1996, the National Museum of Vietnamese History in coordination with the branch of Culture and Information of Thanh Hoa has carried out several times the study, exploration and archaeological excavation of the site of Lam Kinh. The study is carried out carefully, with stages of exploration and excavation on a large area. The result is that the general plan of the site of Lam Kinh has been drawn rather thoroughly, with units of construction comprising the Main Palace, the palaces Thai Mieu, the altars at Tay That, the palaces Ta Vu and Huu Vu, the yard of dragons, the constructions in form of Cong character or in rectangular form at the quarter Dong Tru… and the water system of Lam Kinh comprising the old dam, the lake Nhu Ang, the aqueduct, the West Lake and the river Ngoc.
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The study of the earth layers of the explored quarter has shown that Lam Kinh has existed during the centuries 15 – 18 with the two architectural layers of the first Le (15-16) and the posterior Le (17-18) successively. Under the two architectural layers is the cultural layer of the Tran, dating from the end of the 14
th and the beginning of the 15
th century, containing vestiges such as ceramics, copper currency, bones and teeth of animals, stone axes, tiles, which concretise somewhat the texts of annals and of the Vinh Lang stele on that land at the time of arrival of the ancestors of Le Thai To to settle farms, when Lam Son has not become Lam Kinh, second capital of Dai Viet of the Le, yet.
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The excavation has discovered an ancient capital Lam Kinh in the depth of soil with plans of somptuous constructions which have borders of foundations (rectangular massive bricks, box-shaped, of green and grey colour, alternately placed), floors (red and grey square bricks, regularly placed without mortar), fortifications (using pebbles, wastes of material of construction mixed with yellow clay, well compressed), pedestals of columns (big limestones), the system of water evacuation, the verandha bordering the palaces… The most remarkable among these constructions are: the Main Palace with a Cong-shape plan dating from the first Le, type of plan appearing for the first time, the 9 palaces Thai Mieu disposed in an arch shape, which is very “special” in the whole of vietnamese architectures, the two rows Ta – Huu Vu in the shape of Giai Vu…
The extent of the constructions is proved by the contribution of the types of materials and the richness of decorations. The bricks of the steps, the dragons decorating corners, the bas-reliefs, the ornament flagstones, decorations of flowers and leaves… especially the steps before the verandha of Chinh Dien and Thai Mieu decorated with dragons and clouds, which are analogous to the steps of the palace Kinh Thien (Thang Long – Hanoi) (the french searcher L. Besacier think that they are the works of a same gang of workers), are the proof of the somptuous aspect of the constructions of Lam Kinh.
During the excavation, one has received traces of ceremonies in the temples, the visits of Son Lang and the daily life of the royal family Le. Most remarkable are the ceramics and chinas of superior quality, as thin as an egg shell, nearly transparent, decorated with dragons and clouds, bearing in relief the character Quan, which all are instruments of royal usage, as those seen in the Royal Palace of Thang Long.
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Beside discoveries of the constructions, of the palaces of Lam Kinh with secrets of the royal family, the archaeology has also new discoveries of tumbs, of ancient ovens of material on the bank of the river Ngoc and the place of gathering material of construction…, especially the water system of Lam Kinh (comprising aqueducts, the river Ngoc, the lake Nhu Ang and the West lake – brain of Lam Kinh), which helps very much to restore the whole of the landscape and environment of Lam Kinh, in harmony with the temples and palaces, making Lam King become a splendid, wonderful landscape in the middle of the forest of Lam Son.
In the future, archaeological researches will concentrate on the east part of the site, supposed to be the stewardship quarter of Lam Kinh. Will be studied the system of satellite sites surrounding the central part, where have been discovered vestiges and objects containing legends and anecdotes on the uprising of Lam Son, Lam Kinh, Le Loi and the dignitaries of the dynasty of Le…, in order to clarify the relations with the temples and palaces of Lam Kinh, and to have a more complete view on a cultural region of Lam Son , as suggested the late professor Tran Quoc Vuong and his disciples.
Nguyen Van Doan