Excavation of the Châu Thành ruins (Nhơn Thành ward, An Nhơn town, Bình Định province)

Abstract

The Châu Thành ruins are situated on a high mound in the Châu Thành area, Nhơn Thành Ward, An Nhơn Town. This site occupies an important position within the core zone of Cham cultural heritage in Bình Định. From 2020 to 2022, the Bình Định Museum, in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology, carried out three excavations covering a total area of 546.47m². These excavations uncovered a thick cultural layer with multiple overlapping architectural remains, along with a large number of artifacts. The findings reveal a clear evolution in architectural types from early to later phases. Beginning with sacred stones shrines featuring simple, open spaces on a small scale, the Cham people later built temples with wooden frames, yin-yang tiled roofs, pathways, and enclosing walls, dating to the 4th -6th centuries. In the later period, with advancements in construction techniques and the increasing prosperity of the Champa kingdom, they had the resources to construct large scale towers by the 13th century. A large number of artifacts were uncovered, comprising various types such as yang tile ends decorated with lotus motifs, yang tile ends featuring clown faces, yin-yang tiles, fragments of deity statues, inscribed stele fragments, gold pieces, and household ceramics. The exacavation results at the Châu Thành ruins indicate that Cham people had an early presence in the Bình Định region and suggests that this area may have been the original homeland and birthplace of the Champa state.