THE LATE METAL AGE BURIAL SITES IN THE COASTAL AREA OF BA RIA - VUNG TAU: NEW ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES

Abstract

This article presents new archaeological discoveries from two burial sites – Giong Lon (Long Son) and Go Dat Nai (Dat Do) – located in the coastal region of Ba Ria - Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam. Based on the excavation campaigns conducted during 2022-2023, researchers have clarified the stratigraphy, burial practices, and typology of grave goods at both sites. Inhumation and jar burials are identified as the dominant funerary forms. A wide array of grave goods was unearthed, including pottery vessels, iron tools, and ornaments made of glass and semi-precious stones. Of particular significance is the presence of Indo-Pacific beads and agate, garnet artifacts, which indicate broad cultural and commercial connections across prehistoric and protohistoric Southeast Asia. The study proposes that Giong Lon and Go Dat Nai served as key nodes within the cultural developmental trajectory linking from the prehistory basin to the pre-Oc Eo culture, functioning as “proto-port sites.” These sites exemplify the social, economic, and cultural transformations that underpinned the emergence of early state formations in southern Vietnam.