Dong Son and Vietnamese Culture

Dong Son and Vietnamese Culture

Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country in the Indochina peninsula has been inhabited ever since the Paleolithic times. The Vietnamese people are thought to have come from the Indonesian Archipelago. In this report, artifacts from the Dong Son and Vietnamese civilization will be discussed. The focus of discussion will be placed on the development of culture and the arts, as well as technology.

The first artifact is the Heger Type 1 Dong Son drum. This wide drum is made of bronze and has many figures of men, animals or birds carved on it. It originated in Vietnam's Red River Valley in the 2nd century BC. They were likely buried by the people during funeral processions. They were valuable to the society since the ingenuity of their construction helped the Dong Son culture influence other civilizations. From this artifact, I can hypothesize that the Dong Son people were a rapidly developing civilization. Firstly, the fact that such a drum could be developed shows that they were knowledgeable about bronze-casting. This shows the intellectual advancement of the people as well as the fact that they had greatly developed technology and the sciences. Secondly, the intricate carvings and refined shape of the drum show the good craftsmanship of the Dong Son people. Carvings of men wearing elaborate clothing also gives proof of their ability to weave well. This shows that the Dong Son people were advanced in the Arts. The religious carvings as well as the fact that they used the drums for funeral processions suggest their connection with the spiritual world. This shows the rich culture they had and their advancement in that aspect. All these conclusions support my hypothesis that the Dong Son people were a rapidly developing society.

The next artifact is the water puppet entitled The Boy on a Buffalo, which is crafted out of wood and lacquered with paint. It originated in Northern Vietnam along the Red River delta during the 11th century and was created by farmers and peasants for entertainment purposes. The puppetry shows were usually of folklore, religion, and daily life in the rural areas. It was valuable as it allowed the people to bond and impart culture. From this artifact, I can hypothesize that the society was relatively developed, though the people led simple lives. The development of the society can be shown from their ability to think of such creative ideas and organize shows. It shows the development of intellect as well as their good communication skills, proof of a highly advanced language system. The cultural and religious puppetry shows also reflect their rich culture and advanced development of complex beliefs. Lastly, the intricate puppets show the craftsmanship and skillfulness the people had, evidence of advanced development in the Arts. On another note, we can tell that the people led simple lives because they used such simple methods to entertain themselves, hint of the lack of technology and complexity in their way of life. These conclusions thus show development of the society, though