Newly displayed artifacts and research confirm Vuon Chuoi as a crucial Bronze Age hub in ancient Vietnam.
The Hanoi Museum has opened a special exhibition titled "Archaeological Discoveries from Vuon Chuoi", along with the official release of the 2025 scientific research findings from the Vuon Chuoi archaeological site.
Located in Hoai Duc District, Hanoi, Vuon Chuoi is considered one of the most significant archaeological sites from the Bronze Age in northern Vietnam. It reflects nearly 4,000 years of continuous development of an ancient Vietnamese village, spanning the cultural periods of Phung Nguyen - Dong Dau - Go Mun - Dong Son - and post-Dong Son.
Since its discovery in 1969, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports has coordinated 11 excavations with professional institutions, covering a total area of more than 7,500 square meters. The largest excavation, conducted from March 2024 to March 2025 on the western side of the site (6,000 square meters), revealed living quarters, activity traces, craft workshops, burial grounds, and many unique artifacts belonging to the pre-Dong Son and Dong Son communities.
Since April 2025, Hanoi Museum has continued working with the Institute of Archaeology and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) to categorize and analyze the recovered artifacts. The research has produced several outstanding findings:
On relics: Research results show that Vuon Chuoi's inhabitants lived in the area for an extended period, gradually expanding their settlements from high mounds to lower lands. The emergence of stilt houses and longhouses provides evidence of a socially organized community with clear labor divisions.
Human remains discovered at the site also display the cultural practice of incisor removal, common in the late Phung Nguyen period (around 3,500 years ago). Various crafts such as jade carving, ceramics, woodworking, and bronze casting were well developed. Notably, the jade crafting area was systematically arranged, possibly linked to ceremonial or ritual activities.
On artifacts: In 2025, archaeologists processed a substantial volume of materials from the 2024 excavation: over 15,000 ceramic shards, nearly 5,000 soil samples, and 15,000 artifacts made from diverse materials including stone, bronze, wood, bone, and iron.
Particularly remarkable are several rare objects discovered for the first time in northern Vietnam, such as a green jade axe-bich symbolizing the power of a tribal leader, and 3,500-year-old burial offerings. Other notable finds include a phoenix-head-shaped pendant and a collection of jade items such as bracelets, earrings, and beads.
These new discoveries reaffirm Vuon Chuoi as a comprehensive site encompassing residential, burial, and craft production functions. They vividly illustrate the lives of early wet-rice agricultural communities - Vietnam's first settlers in the Red River Delta - who laid the groundwork for the formation of an early Vietnamese state.
In recognition of its outstanding value, the Vuon Chuoi archaeological site was officially designated a municipal heritage site by the Hanoi People's Committee, under Decision No. 3134/QD-UBND, dated June 23, 2025.
The exhibition "Archaeological Discoveries from Vuon Chuoi" is organized into five sections: The journey of discovery, Cultural convergence and crystallization, Preserving and promoting Vuon Chuoi's heritage, The scientists behind Vuon Chuoi, and An interactive experience corner for aspiring archaeologists.
The exhibition features nearly 1,000 materials, artifacts, images, maps, and models. Many valuable items are on public display for the first time. The space incorporates modern technologies such as 3D projection, 3D mapping, and documentary films that recreate the life of pre-Dong Son and Dong Son communities.
On this occasion, Hanoi Museum also launched a publication titled Exploring Vuon Chuoi (Hanoi) Through the 2024-2025 Excavation Season, offering insights into the research process, newly uncovered findings, and updated understanding of Vietnam's early cultural and state formation history.