The Co Loa Citadel just north of Hanoi is claimed to be the oldest fortification structure build in the Red River delta, with finds from the site dating to the Dong Son period.
Co Loa offers glimpse into past
Viet Nam Net, 06 December 2014
The finding comes after seven years of archaeological excavations by researchers from the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute, Thang Long Ha Noi Heritage Conservation Centre and University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.
“The citadel shows ancient Vietnamese people’s unique innovation during the long process of protecting the country from foreign invaders,” researcher Trinh Hoang Hiep from the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute said at a recent workshop.
The citadel was built under the reign of King An Duong Vuong (around the 2nd century BC). Its name “Co Loa” is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese for “old spiral” as the structure is built in a spiral shape. Various relics of the Bronze Age Dong Son culture can be found at the site, which was recognised as a special national relic site in 2012 by the Prime Minister.
Ancient history books in both China and Viet Nam mentioned the citadel, according to Hiep. However, the books mentioned the same events occurring in different places and at different times, confusing scholars.
The archaeological results provide concrete data about when the citadel was built.
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