Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

Many researchers have interested in studying and finding vestiges of the Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty for a long time. There were also a lot of explorations in the Co Trai and its vicinities recently. However, the architectures at the Co Trai were destroyed by natural disasters and war. In the book “Dai Viet (Viet Nam) history” written by Le Quy Don with a paragraph meanning: after defeating the Mac dynasty in 1592, Trinh Tung Lord (of Le dynasty) had destroyed all palaces, stone steles, cut the trees…

Carring out the archaeological explorations and excavations will be needed for finding the vestiges, relies related to the Duong Kinh capital. That’s why, from July to October 2004, the National Museum of Vietnamese History cooporated with The Culture & Information Department of Hai Phong city carried out exploring and excavating the Duong Kinh capital relic at Co Trai village. Results of this excavation was very good with a lot of vestiges recovered, many old architectures were defined their position, thousands of artifact fragments were unearthed. All of them are evidences that will give us a new and more clear awareness of the Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty. This excavation also confirmed the existence of Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty at the Co Trai land area. The excavators carried out 3 sectors:

- The first sector: at the Gao hillock (Dai Thang village, Ngu Doan commune) where, according to the legend, had been existent the Hung Quoc palace - the residence and bureau of Mac Dang Dung before coming the throne. With 4 explorated holes recovered, the excavators defined vestiges of the southern surrounded wall and building materials of the Hung Quoc palace. The wall foundation was cut and destroyed with its remained height 0.8m, width 0.7m by sediment stones arranged. There were a lot of tiles and architectural decorations in these building materials. A lot of animal figurines that were typical of Mac fine art styte also recovered. The excavators also collected many stoneware fragments of utensils with types as: pot, basin, storage jar, cooking pot… and ceramic fragments with glazes as: white, brown, celadon, blue and white and decorated motifs: dragon, floral, Chinese character… and types as: bow, plate, storage jar, pot… dated 15^th - 16^th century.

- The second sector: at the Cong hillock (Dai Thang village, Ngu Doan commune) where, according to the local legend, had been exishtent the Tuong Quang palace - residence of Mac Dang Dung after abdicating in favour of his son.

With 4 excavated holes, the excavators discovered floor and column bases of an architecture with big scale. The floor was consolidated with layers of fine clay and brocken bricks with thick 15cm. The column base consolidated with yellow clay mixed brockenbricks. Basing on these consolidated layers, the excavators defined this is a big architecture with south direction that resemble architecture plan of the Main palace and Western palace at the Lam Kinh relic in the Restored Le dynasty (the second capital of Le dynasty, 15^th - 18^th century).

In the south of this hilllock, the excavators also discovered the consolidated vestiges of another architecture with smaller scale. The materials and consolidated technique resemble the big architecture of the Cong hillock. The architectural plan is rectangle with length 8m, width 3.5m, south direction. Basing on the scale, structure, recovered position of vestiges, the excavatiors gave their beginning prediction this is an architecture of entrane gate of relic with 3 entrances.

In addition, many terracotta building materials and architectulral decorations also recovered with types: brick, paving tile, roof tile (in the shapes of leaf, tube, round), and figurines of dragon, Nghe (sacred animal). There were also ceramics recovered with glazes: celadon, brown, white, blue and white… and decorated motifs: dragon, phoenix, fish, floral…

- The third sector: at the Quan Thieu hillock (Duong Thang village, Ngu Doan commune) is far from the Cong hillock 400m to the East, and the Gao hillock 500m to the south, This is place where, according to the local legend, had been bureau of Quan Thieu who had been an important mandarin of the Mac dynasty in the Duong Kinh capital.

The excavators carried out excavating one hole with square 72m² and discovered the consolidated vestiges of floor and column base of an architecture. The consolidated technique and building materials resemble the architecture of Cong hillock (the second sector). There were a lot of tool fragments and ceramic wasters of ceramic kilns recovered. They reflected activities producing ceramics at this area.

Summarily, this is the first time, the Duong Kinh capital of Mac dynasty was excavated with big scale at the Co Trai area. The results of this excavation made more clear the records of historical documents of the Duong Kinh capital.

The excavated results of 3 sectors with total square 450m² showed the existence of the surrounded wall and Hung Quoc palace (first sector), position of Tuong Quang palace (second sector), and producing the building materials, utensils for serving the royal dailylife activities of Mac dynasty in Duong Kinh capital (third sector). With a big quanlity of building materials, architectural decorations recovered at these 3 sectors are evidences that demonstrated more clear the dense distribution of architectures in Duong Kinh capital. Basing on studying of type, material, glazed, decorated themes on the typical artifacts, the excavators defined chracteristrics of architecture and fine art of Mac dynasty. Particularly, the collection of ceramic with abundant types, glazes and decorated motifs showed development of Viet Nam fine art. This excavated results also take part in sketching the appearance of a capital of Mac dynasty in 16^th century.

There are certainly more many secrets of the significent Duong Kinh capital at the Co Trai area that are not still discovered yet and the Duong Kinh capital will be only made more clear by the next studies, archaeological excavations with biger scale.

Nguyen Ngoc Chat