Bảo tàng lịch sử Quốc gia

Speaking of Lam Son, it is speaking of the quarter of tombs of kings and queens of the first Le as well as of the temples and of the worship houses of large extent. In this complex of tombs, the tomb Vinh Lang of king Le Thai To is situated in the middle and is used as a mark for the other tombs. However, during the study of Vinh Lang, opinions arise on the question: the square tomb in the mausoleum is a true tomb or a false one? During the exploration of the site Lam Kinh, this question has been elucidated by the archaeologists of the National Museum of Vietnamese History.

In 1996, has been carried out the excavation of the well of Jade, situated just behind the temples Thai mieu of Lam Kinh, to determine the extent and the dimensions as well as relative problems in order to restore the site of the ancient well. Before the excavation, it was only a depression full of soil and now became a pool of water. The result is quite astonishing. From the depth of 1,35m to 1,75m, have been discovered numerous vestiges of ceramics, earthenware and especially tiles dating from the end of the 14^th, beginning of the 15^th century, thick layers of charcoal, rows of massive bricks without mortar of a nearly square form (dimensions 6,7m×5,2m). The disposition of the layers shows that it is the structure of an ancient tomb, nearly square with a door (0,92m wide). The funeral house is built symbolically with ranged tiles (false roof), thick layers of wet and refined charcoal. Probably, for the sake of secrecy, the tomb has been called under a false name, the “Jade well”. The structure of the tomb shows that it has the character of an ancient Muong tomb. Because of numerous objective reasons, among which the hypothesis that it is just Le Thai To’s tomb, the excavation was stopped at the depth of 2,75m.

The hypothesis that it is Le Thai To’s true tomb, is based on the following arguments:

- Firstly, the study of the place shows that the Jade well has an organic connexion with the mausoleum (at a distance of nearly 50m), the stele and the main axis of the complex of temples of Lam Kinh. The true tomb is situated on the “divine” axis, at a distance of about 30m in front of the mausoleum of Le Thai To, behind the stele Vinh Lang, at a distance of about 200m, in the north-east of the stele. It is the central situation, which can only be reserved to the burial of the king creator of the dynasty of Le – Le Thai To. The mausoleum is built before the complex of temples and is used as a mark for the complex.

- Secondly, the tomb is grandiose, the accompanying objects are all of superior quality (ceramics with printed decorations, thin ceramics decorated with dragons in relief) and cannot be reserved to mandarins. Even the tombs of the Muong chiefs (marquess, ve cam y) are not built with rows of massive bricks, treated as carefully on a so large plan.

- Thirdly, the geographic natural and geographic ethnological conditions place the region Lam Kinh in a Muong space or an ancient Viet-Muong one. Before, certain authors have thought that Le Loi is of Muong origine because his natal country is Cham of father and Chua of mother. The natal country of Le Thai To, father and mother, though having gone through ethnographical changes, still conserves a manifest Muong character. Le Thai To is the first king of the Le, having a relatively short reign, and so must conserve a pronounced Muong character. That is why, in his burial at Lam Son, the mausoleum and the stele have been built according to his position of creator king of the dynasty, but his burial has a very pronounced Muong character, through the structure of the tomb discovered at the Jade well. During its existence, for the sake of security, it has taken the false name of “Jade well”.

Nguyen Van Doan