Archaeologists unearth Metal Age furnaces

May, 22 2010 | VietNam News

HA NOI — Ancient copper furnaces recently unearthed at an archaeological site in Dong Anh, in the north of Ha Noi, have shed important light on the Metal Age, according to archaeologists.
"This site was a bronze casting workshop, with dozens of furnaces, which we have found during seven excavations here since 1971," said Lai Van Toi, from the Viet Nam Archaeology Institute.

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Photo: Smelting worksho: Ancient copper furnaces discovered at the Dinh Trang archaeological site and some metal weapons (above) also unearthed at the site. — VNS Photos Kieu Trinh

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Among artefacts found at the site are copper objects, cinders, broken pieces of pottery, pans and tripods – which were probably part of a traditional kitchen.

Most of the furnaces, which are believed to be about 4,000 years old, were aligned along a northwest to southeast axis and evenly spaced. They were also of similar design.
Archaeologists believe the furnaces were aligned like this so that they would catch the wind.
"In a 300sq.m area, we found many furnaces," said Prof Han Van Khan, from Ha Noi Social Sciences and Humanity University, who has also been excavating the site. This is not an ordinary family kitchen but a workshop for smelting metal.
"Copper may have been smelted here to make large objects," he said, adding that each of the two lines of furnaces may have been part of two separate workshops.
The second major Metal Age (Bronze Age to early Iron Age) [...] ... Read the article ...

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