SOUTHEASTERN VIETNAM IN THE METAL AGE CULTURAL INTERACTION NETWORKS: INSIGHTS FROM ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS (2015 - 2025)

Abstract

Drawing on archaeological discoveries excavated between 2015 and 2025, this paper sheds light on the complex network of cultural interactions that emerged in Southeastern Vietnam during the Metal Age. Through the analysis of artifact collections - notable for their diverse materials and provenances - this study provides compelling evidence of the active participation of local communities in the maritime trade network of the Iron Age (c. 2,500 - 2,000 BP). Among the most striking finds are nephrite jade ornaments originating from as far away as Taiwan and green mica beads likely sourced from the central Philippines. Notably, these high-value trade goods were not limited to the coastal region; their discovery inland, some 50km from the coast, suggests a widespread distribution system. The influx of these high-value products is interpreted as a catalyst for profound social transformation, fueling social stratification and the rise of local elites, chiefdoms, and power centers in the early centuries of Common Era. These new data sketch a different picture from previous perceptions, showing Southeastern Vietnam not as a passive cultural recipient but as a dynamic hub and an important link in the economic and cultural mosaic that connected mainland and island Southeast Asia in the prehistoric and proto-historic periods.