Groundbreaking ceremony for archaeological survey and excavation at Lieu Coc Twin Towers site

The second phase of the survey and excavation at Lieu Coc Twin Towers will take place over nearly two months. Photo: MINH DIEN

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on the morning of May 16^th at the heritage site located in Huong Xuan Ward, Huong Tra Town.

This second phase of the archaeological survey and excavation, led by Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Chat from the National Museum of History, will span nearly two months over an area of 66 square meters. Specifically, the survey area covers 6 square meters (including two 3 square meter pits), and the excavation area covers 60 square meters (comprising two pits, pit 1: 50 square meters, pit 2: 10 square meters).

During the survey and excavation, special attention must be paid to preserving the stratigraphy of the site. There is also a responsibility to educate the public on the importance of preserving local cultural heritage. No official conclusions may be publicly announced without the agreement of the managing authority and the Department of Cultural Heritage.

Artifacts collected during the survey and excavation must be safeguarded and preserved by Hue City Museum of History and Hue Department of Culture and Sports. They must prevent damage or loss of these artifacts and report to the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on measures to protect and promote the value of the artifacts.

Upon completion of the archaeological work, Hue Department of Culture and Sports and the National Museum of History must submit a preliminary report and propose a plan for managing and protecting the surveyed and excavated areas within a month. A full scientific report must be submitted within a year to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Before publishing the results of the archaeological survey and excavation, the licensed agency must consult and reach an agreement with the Department of Cultural Heritage.

More than a year ago, the first phase of archaeological survey and excavation at the Lieu Coc Twin Towers site was conducted. That phase involved a 20 square meter survey and a 60 square meter excavation, which revealed many important findings and a large number of related artifacts.