Dong Son-era drum surface found in Dong Thap province

ABO/NDO – A bronze drumhead dating back about 2,000 - 2,300 years ago in the Dong Son civilisation has been discovered in the southern province of Dong Thap.

Belonging to a drum of Type Heger I, the 7.6kg head measures 63cm in diameter and features images of a 12-point star and six birds flying counterclockwise alternated with lines and tangent circles, Thanh nien (Young people) newspaper cited the Dong Thap Museum.

The drumhead is 7.6kg in weight and 63cm in diameter. (Photo: thanhnien.vn).

The drumhead was found by a resident in Vinh Thoi commune of Lai Vung district when he was fishing on the Hau River in March this year. He handed over the item to the Dong Thap Museum in late April.

The Dong Son Civilisation got its name from Dong Son village on the bank of the Ma River in the central province of Thanh Hoa, where a number of bronze drums were discovered in 1924, marking the first evidence of this civilisation.

It existed between the 7th century BC and the first - second century AD. Its vestiges have been discovered in various localities, mainly in the basins of the Red River in the north, the Ma River in Thanh Hoa, and the Ca River in nearby Nghe An province. They have also been excavated in central, Central Highlands and southern regions, as well as some other Southeast Asian countries.

(Source: NDO)