V N U J O U R N A L O F S C IE N C E , soc . S C I , H U M A N ., N 01E.

2 0 0 2

J A R B U R I A L S T R A D I T I O N IN S O U T H E A S T ASIA

L a m T h i M y D z u n g (#)

A. Early period
M a n u n g g u i Cave-Chamber A assemblage
A.I. Southeast Asian Islands : in Palawan (Philippines):

This period w as d e fin e d u n d e r various T here was yielded a highly sophisticated

term s su ch as Early N e o lith ic p h a se and Late a sse m b la g e of earthenware burial jars,
Neolithic p h ase (B ellw ood); Late N eolithic-Jar including the now fam ous M an u n g g u l Jar,
burial phase (Fox) or Stone tool-jar burial dated by associated charcoal fat the University
(Solheim II); A g ricu ltu ral Stage (for Indonesia) o f C alifornia at Los Angeles) to 710 B .c and
(Soejono)... 890 B.c (R .Fox 1979:233).
There w ere u n c o v e re d a n u m b e r o f sites T he earlier ja r burials provided a range of
from this period, w h ic h located in Philippines, grave goods, including jade beads and bracelets
Indonesia an d M a la y s ia (Spriggs 1989: F ig .l) . and three agate beads, but no objects o f metal,
Here we can m en tio n e d s o m e o f them . g lass or carnelian. T he pottery vessels display a

Cave A rku in N orthern L u zo n (Philippines): rem a rc a b le expertise including arguably the

It is located in a tributary o f the C a g a y a n m o st im pressive e x am ple from Southeast Asia,

V alley, this site p ro d u ce d a burial asse m b la g e a vessel 6 6.5cm in height, topped by a soul

dated to be tw e en 1500 BC an d 0. T h e artefacts boat transporting aw ay the dead . In addition to

included stone, shell im p le m e n ts and this j a r -burial assem blage ị\ was uncovered a

orn am ents and pottery. The burials were red-slipped bowl with ring stand (Solheim II

apparently prim a ry or s e c o n d a ry , and 1966: PI.Ia). A ssociated with it were a small

som etim es d u s te d with ore he or placed in jars. stepped daze, a scoop m ade from the M clo

O ne ja r burial has b e e n r a d io c a rb o n dated to shell, small green-stone beads, and a few beads

about 5 00 BC. A c c o rd in g to Beliw ood (1 9 8 5 ) it m a d e o f the co m m o n N assarius shell.

is clear that this a s s e m b la g e c o n tin u e d on to

It is seems that C h a m b e r A assem blage
overlap with a m a jo r I n d o -M a la y s ia n jar-burial
provided the evidences for the beginnings of
tradition.
the ja r burial tradition at the beginning o f the

Dr., Department of History, College of Social Sciences & Humanities, VNU

44
Jill burials tradition 111 Southeast Am.I 45

first m ille n n iu m B.C. on the basis o f two coast; caves the m o u th s o f w hich overlook the
rad io c arb o n dates m en tio n e d above. This sea. N eolithic ja r burials, h o w ever, have been
a sse m b la g e contained no m etal. The pottery is found in interior o p e n sites o f central Luzon, in
fine and includes both c o rd -m a rk in g and N ueva Eciji p ro v in c e (R .F o x 1979:234-235).
carved paddle im pressions as a significant T he sa m e kind o f sites (sto n e tool-jar burials
e le m en t o f surface treatm ent. A c c o rd in g to bv Solheim ) is a ls o re c o g n iz e d in Rato,
Fox, cord and paddle im pressed surface Sorsogon, M ataas, M isibis , M arinduque...
treatm ent w as w idespread III the e x tre m e (W .S o lh e im ll 1980: 3-9).
southern Philippines but absent or rare in
West M outh (it S ia h in Sarawak (Malaysia):
central and northern Philippines.
D uring the N e o lith ic , an inner portion of
Be 11w ood has in d icated that in this the cave was used for burial purposes. There were
a ssem blage there is at least o n e pottery coffin, un covered a b o u t 130 b urials, both c re m atio n s
and som e vessels have red -painted curvilinear and burnt s e c o n d a ry bu ria ls have been asserted
d esig n s e n clo sed by in cised lin es-a tec h n iq u e in addition to the o th e r fu neral rites.
well represented in the E arly M etal sites in
A c c o rd in g to BeIIw ood (1 9 8 5 :2 5 7 ) there
Sabah, and also in the Sa H u y n h c u ltu re in
were rec o g n ize d th re e m a in p eriods o f funeral
southern V ietnam . T herefore he feels that the
practices at N iah:
absence o f m etal is not reliable indicator o f a
/. P recerarnic e x te n d e d burials in coffins
Neolithic date. Like all ja r burial caves this one
or bam bo c a sk e ts , and c o n tin u in g flexed
also distributed and the ja rs sm a sh e d , a n d the
burials ( 4 0 0 0 -2 0 0 0 BC).
carbon dates need not necessarily date the jar
burial event (Bellwood 1985:31 i). H ow ever, it 2. 2 0 0 0 BC (or later ?) e x te n d in g to an
is noting that, here is a dated M etal A g e uncertain point, p e rh a p s late in the first
a ssem blage from the a d ja c e n t C h a m b e r B o f m ille n n iu m BC, c h a ra c te r is e d by c o n tin u in g
M annungul. T h e artefact a s se m b la g e s o f tw o e x te n d e d burials, n e w ly a p p e a rin g c rem ations,
C ham bers, with m etal and g lass o n ly in B, do ja r burials, and p o ttery ( in c lu d in g the d o u b le ­
support that the Cham ber A burial jar spouted form).
assem blage is older. T h e d e c o ra te d pottery was
3. C o m e s the E a rly M e ta l p h a se, w hich
therefore s o m e tim e betw een 3 0 0 0 and 2 1 0 0 BP
probably po std a te s A D I at N iah, associated
( M Spriggs 1989:606-607).
with the sam e c o n tin u in g burial form s, copper,
and perhaps textiles.
Burial in large e a rthen w are jars, e ith e r
primary or se co ndary or both, are a d iagnostic The c o lla g e n d a te s for these burials range
feature o f the term inal pha se o f the Late betw een ab o u t 2 1 0 0 and 7 0 0 BC. T w o burial
Neolithic in the Philippines. T hese are jars dated to a b o u t Ỉ 5 0 0 BC (burial 69, and
generally found in lim estone caves n e a r the from burnt w o o d w ith burial 159) and another

IV Journal o f Science, Sot'., S c i , Human , V;//•.'. 2002

46 Lam Thi My D zung

burial ja r dated to ab o u t 7 5 0 B C (burial 67) a m o n g the potery assemblage two distinctive

(B ellw ood 1985: 2 5 6 -2 5 7 ; Fig 8.7). But as types (both form and decoration) w e re
Spriggs (1 9 8 9 ) has s h o w n , the c h ro n o lo g ica l recognized, lie se included d o u b le-spouted

fram ew ork th ere is u n a c ce tab le . All vessel and thne-colour ware vessel. It is said
radiocarbon d a tes are o n ly refe re n c e d to that the p o tsh rd s o f double-spouted v e ssels

absolute d epth, ra d io c a rb o n a g e s for the site were found wth j a r burials (Bellwood 1985:
were rarely p roperly rep o rted . F o r in stance the 257; fig 8.5;8.0.
date 4 0 7 0 + /- 7 0 B P for a level su p p o sed ly
T he most that c a n be inferred fro m the
sealing in the N eo lith ic d e p o sits at N ia h Cave
early excavatim s is that there was p ro b ab ly a
first reported by H a rris s o n in 1959 and qu o ted
N eolithic cenetery there incorporating ja r
by every c o m m e n ta to r o n the site since that
burial, a tradiion w hich became w idespread
time. T h e re is in fact no s u c h d a te fro m N iah
during the Braize A ge, and which m ig h t date
(M .S priggs 1989:603). T h e o th e r p ro b le m is
back into the econd m illennium BC (H ig h am
the m ix in g -u p o f the d e p th s and p laces o f the
1996: 301).
taking sa m p le s (M .S p rig g s 1989: 603).
A .I I . E a rly p e rio d -C e n tra l and S o u th
G lo v er (1 9 7 9 -.177-178) has s h o w n that it
V ie tn a m :
is difficult to d isc o v e r from the m any
prelim inary pub lic a tio n s on
the N iah C ave e x c a v a tio n s
exactly w hen pottery first
appears in the
a rc h aeological sequence
there, and its subsequent
developm ent. F o r instance,
on one ha n d Ciolson
c o n c lu d e d that the e a rliest
pottery, at the 2 4 in. level,
m ight ap p e ar as long as
8.000 years ago. On the
o ther hand, it is c le a r fro m B a rb a ra H a rris s o n ’s
It in cluds over 20 sites, w hich were
an aly sis that the e a rlie st o f the n eo lith ic'
burials in the c e m e te r y area, w h ic h includes ranged from cDout 3500 BP to 2700 /2 6 0 0 BP at

m o st o f the pottery, m u s t be d a te d to 5 0 0 B . c the sa m e spa o f tim e as the C h a m b e r A of

or after; and at least tw o o f th ese burials M an n u n g u l "ave-Palaw an and N eolithic

contain bronze or c o p p e r tools. In a d d ition to C em etery at iiah Cave-Sarawak. T hese were

pottery d ata here I w ant to e m p h a s iz e this occupation-sits or occupation-buriai sites.

I 'NU. Journal ( Science, Soc., Sci., Human., No IE, 2002

Jar burials tradition in Southeast Asia 47

M etal and glass artifacts have not yet been Here we w ant to give su p p le m e n ta ry

found. The urn burials (except the infant pot- m ate ria ls g a th e re d from the hight plateau in

burial) were o f various kinds o f jar o r pot with S outhern part o f V ie tn a m -th e 'T a y N tytyen
the lids in form o f the other pot o r pedestal area". In this a re a there w ere recognized 48
vessel, in some cases, there were uncovered the sites, w hich b e long to the Late N eolithic-E arly

spherical Id s covered the e g g -sh a p e d jars. M etal A ge. A c c o rd in g to rese a rc h rs from

Some ja r burials contained nothing, but in the H anoi Institute o f A rc h a e o lo g y , these site

others there were provided the grav e goods, c ould be d e v id e d into tw o su b-phases. The

which incluJe the stone im plem ents, orn am e n ts e a rlie r is c h a ra c te riz e d by the p rese n c e o f

and pottery vessels. The oc c u p atio n sites are sho u ld e re d and q u a d ra n g u la r ax e s and adzes
located on lie sand dune or slow m o u n d o r hill with sm all or a verage m e a s u re s , c o rd -m ark e d ,

nearby the water sources, the j a r burials alw ays incised c o a rs e pottery. In s o m e c a se s w e can
have been b u n d within the settlem ents. There see and ap liq u e o r p u n c tu a ted d ecoration. The
were found :he occupation-hurial site from this stone hoes rarely o c c u rre d a n d all o f them are

period on the Island Cti Lao Chain, Q uang Nam small. The ja r b urials also have been

province and Island Ly Son, Quang Ngai province. uncovered. T h e c o ffin vessels are g lo b u la r pots,

W hile com paring two a s se m b la g e s of the ja rs are jo in e d m o u th to m o u th and placed

Central Vietnam and Southeast Islands we can vertically in the g ro u n d . T h e latter one, beside

see very clearly that their c o m m o n traits were these features, there w ere yield e d the large

the funeral rites, especially the using pottery stone hoes, big ja r burials, m o u ld s for bronze
vessel as the coffins, som e sim ila r w ays o f casting. We w ish to e m p h a s iz e that H igh
pottery surface treatm ent and it is possible that Plateau in S o u th e rn part o f V ie tn a m is the
stone implements a lso shared so m e similarities. h o m ela n d o f n u m b e r o f m in o r eth n ic groups
But between them there w ere not single w hich b e long both to A u stro a siatic and
difference, particularly in the potterv form s and A u stro n e sian la n g u a g e fam ilies. T he using of
stone tools and ornam ents. Infact, there are not
jar as a burial c o ffin is c o m m o n p h e n o m e n o n
m uch oppotinitics to observe the data from
in this period for the large a re a w hich e x te n d e d
Southeast Is antis jai-burials sites, blit these
from m o u n ta in to coastal reg io n s in* Central
ones we coulJ see o f the publications led us to
and part o f S o u th e rn V ietnam .
the opinions that in two areas there were
established a id developed the d istin c t c u ltu ral B. L a t e p e r i o d :

traditions w i n own characteristics in ea ch and

B.I.. S o u t h e a s t A s i a n I s l a n d s :
their similarities m ig h t be the results of
e xchanges anJ m ultiform relationships than the T h is period a lso w as term ed differently
people s movements.
a m ong the arc h a e o lg ists su ch as Early M etal

I XU Journo/ ojScierce, Soc . Sc I , Human , A 2007

48 Lam Thi My Dzung

Phase (B ellw ood); E a rly M e ta l A ge and B ellw ood arg u e that the ja r burial tradition
D eveloped M etal A g e (F o x ), C ra fts m a h s h ip is seen at its m o st elaborate in the islands
Stage (for In donesia) (Soejono)... a round the C elebes and Sulu Seas (Northern
Borneo, T a la u d , Central and Southern
Sites o f this period are far m o re n u m ero u s
Philippines), and here it involved the placing of
than the e a rlie r N eolithic sites. It is w orthy to
prev io u slv -e x p o sed secondary burials in large
note that ja r burial is on ly on e o f several
jars or b o n e -b o x e s provided with lids. T he jars
funeral structures or c o n ta in e rs , w h ic h were
w ere placed e ither o n the floors or fairly
recognized o n the Islands b e lo n g in g to the last
rem ote c a v e s or in pits dud into o pen sites.
m ille n n iu m B . c
T h e sites a round the Celebes and Sulu
Indonesia: Seas-the T a b o n Caves, the "K alanay" sites, and
the sites of ea ste rn Sabah and T alaud-do share
U rn burials are k n o n w at A n y a r in west
very clo se ly related pottery assem blages with
Java; N g ra m b e in e ast Java; T e b in g tin g g i in
iron and copper/bronze during the first
south Sum atra; N iah in S a raw a k (n o w E a ste rn
m illle n n iu m A D . J a r burial is the predom inant
M alaya); G ilim a n u k an d C e k ik in w est Bali;
rite in this region, and an o th er c om m on
Sa'bang in c e ntral Sulaw esi; S alay ar Island; and
characterisics is sm all pottery bone box
M e lo lo in Sum ba; P la w a n g a n in north-central
(Bellw ood 1985:314).
Java...T he d istribution is a lre a d y q u ite w ide but
urn-fields are c o n fin e d to coastal districts M atiungul Cave sừe- Chamber B (Palawan):
(G lover 1979:180). T h e p ractice o f j a r burial
Jar burial sites have been excavated in the
was p red o m in an t m a in ly in the m o re easterly
Early M etal A g e in Philippines which include
parts o f Indonesia, but in m a n y o f the southern
in the a sse m b la g e o f artefacts both socketed
Indonesian sites the j a r burials o c c u r to g h eth e r
bronze adzes, sm all trapezoidal or quadranglar
with e x te n d e d burials, as noted in section VI B
stone adzes and possibly iron. Charcoal from
for the sites o f P la w a n g a n in Ja v a (B ellw ood
M a n u n g g u l Cave (C h a m b e r B), associated with
1985:304) and G ilim a n u k in Bali (P. Soejono
thirty fragm ents o f iron objects, yielded a c 14
1979:186-198).
de te rm in a tio n o f 2 1 4 0 + /-1 0 0 B .p or 190 B.C.
H o w e v er Fox g ave the 5 00 B . c date for the
Philippines:
early m etals-bronze and copper-found in the

Jar burials are u n c o vered at K alanay, P alaw an caves (F o x 1979:238).

M a k ab o g , B atungan in M a sb a te ; San N a rc is o in T h is asse m b la g e p ro d u c e d iron, glass

T ayabas, M a n u n g g u l Cave ( C h a m b e r B), west- bracelets, glass and c a rn e lia n beads, and also
central coast of P a law a n ; M a itu m in five acid-etched agate b e a d s sim ilar to those
M indanao... from Buidane. C o p p er o r bronze item s occur in
other j a r burial caves in the area, and include

l ’NU. Journal o f Science, Soc., Sci., Human., NfilE, 2002

Jill burials tradition in Soulhcasl Asia 49

socketed axes and spearheads, a tanged and G ilim a n u ky n o rth -w e ste rn B ali:
barbed arrow head, and a possible barbed
E x c a v atio n s at G ilim a n u k in 1963, 1964
harpoon. A xe casting m oulds, gold heads, and
a n d m o re rec e n tly in 1973, p ro d u ce d evidence
jade lingling'O earrings have also been found.
o f coastal se ttle m e n t d u rin g late prehistoric
A fter analysis Be 11wood has suggested that the
tim es (R .P .S o e jo n o 1979:185). Selective
T abon (i.e. M a nungul) jar burial se q uence will
e x c a v a tio n c a rrie d out in 1963 on three
resem ble the sequence from the Sabah sites and
se cto rsp ro d u c e d e n c o u ra g in g results. Beside
belong m ainly in the first m ille n n iu m AD
re m n a n ts o f pottery a n d shell a n u m b e r o f
(Be 11wood 1985: 312).
burials, a m o n g th e m a d o u b le urn burial, were
Most of ja r burials sites in E astern
recovered a lm o st intact. J a r burial is o n e o f the
M alaysia, E astern Indonesia, T alau Islands,
four m a in s y s te m s re c o g n iz e d at the site. Urn
Sabah, Central and Southern Philippines,
burials (fouth s y s te m ) o c c u rre d o n ly twice at
Southern Indonesia and Sulawesi such as
the G ilim a n u k site, but a re unique bec au se o f
Leang Buidane, A g o p Atas, P u su sa m a n g , Bukit
the use o f d o u b le ja r s as a funeral m ed iu m .
Tengkorak, M agsuhot, M elolo...w ere d ated
A c c o rd in g to S o e jo n o (1 9 7 9 :1 9 5 -1 9 6 ),
m ainly in the first m ille n n iu m A .D . (Be 11w ood
th e c u s to m o f using d o u b le ja rs did not exist
1985: 301-316).
a n y w h e re in In d o n esia , e x c e p t at G ilim an u k .
M ailumt Saranggani Province in Mindanao: The d o u b le j a r burials at G ilim a n u k w ere

In 1991, a n th ropom orphic se co n d a ry d e scrib ed as follow:

burial jars were discovered in A y u b Cave,

T h e ja r s arc jo in e d m outh to m outh cmd
Pinol, M aitum . T he site had be e n dated to
p la c ed vertically in the g ro u n d . T h e lo w er ja r,
830+ /-60 B.p. (calibrated date o f A .D .7 0 to
which is bigger than one on to p , con tained a
370) and 1920+/-50 B.p. (cai.date o f 5 B.C. to
seco n d a ry b u rial o f a single pearson. Skeletons
A .I).225). T h e radiocarbon dates w ere obtained
in tlie ja rs o f G iỉim anuk w ere n o t fu rn ish e d
from the soot sa m ples taken from the sm all
with gifts. V ery in teresting w as th e disco very o f
earthenw are vessel found inside o n e o f the
evident hum an sa crifice in co n n ectio n with ja r
anthropom orphic burial jar. T h e se burial jars
burial here. A skeleto n in p ro stra te position
are m ade o f ea rth en w a re desig n e d and form ed
was fo u n d below a d o u b le ja r. T h e skull
like hum an figures with c o m p le te facial
sq u eezed b a ckw ards, the elb o w s p u lled
characteristics . T h e se were a sso ciated with
tow ards the back, and the legs fo ld e d
metal im plem ents; g lass beads a n d bracelets;
backw ards, seem ed to indicate intentional
shell spoon, scoop, bracelets and pendants;
killing. The p la cin g o f skeleto n s in ja r s seem s
earthenw are potteries with incised de sig n s and
to h a ve been ca rried o u t in a fe w cases o f
cut-out foot-rings; n o n a n th ro p o m o rp h ic burial
d ecea sed p erso n s o f p ro m in en t status. The
jars (A rchaeology).
sa crificed p erso n w as p resu m a b ly intended to

IM Journal o f Science, Sot . S c i, Human , Soil:, 2002

50 Lam Thi Mv D zung

accom pany the em inent deceased on his m aking. A great num ber o f bronze im plem ents,
journey to the hereafter (Soejono 1979:196-197). sh o w n the closed relationships with D ong Son
culture to the North. In the final stage (I, II. BC
E xcept these, among the potshards,
uncovered at the site there w ere sherds o f more
than usual thickness and recognized as the
frag m en ts o f jars. Several bro k en specim ens of
this kind o f pottery co n ta in ed disintegrated
h u m a n skeletons. This indicates that jars had a
su p p le m e n ta ry function as burial jars
( S o e jo n o l9 7 9 : 192).

T he a sse m b la g e s o f grave goods o f burials

from Clilimanuk have show n the pottery
apparently like that from Buni. O ther gra\e-
g o ods include socketed bronze axes of a
localised h eart-shaped form , a tanged iron
spearhead, an iron d a g g e r with a bronze h a n d e
(like M a in la n d Southeast A sia bim etallic f o m s
from Ban C hia n g , Shizhaishan, G o M a Voi,
D ong Son, C u o n g Ha), beads og gold, glaỉS
a nd carnelian, and a range o f o ther items of
w hich gold e y e covers like those o f the Bmi
c o m p le x are the most striking. N o stone tods
w ere found w ith the burials, and as a whole tie
a s se m b la g e m a y belong to the early or mil-fi'St to I. AD), the H an C hina influences were

m ille n n iu m A D ( B e llw o o d 1985:301). sfrong, these m ight bé c a m e by the political

B.I. Central and Southern Vietnam:
It includes over 70 sites, w hich
ranged from about 260 0 BP to I AD. Alrrust
are ja r burial sites, located on the san du n e )r
slow hill and m o u n d along the coastal and ri\er
or the old flow or river. T here w ere ako
uncovered the j a r burials on the islands.
The iron and bronze artifacts
c o m m o n a m o n g the grave goods. T h e re were
revealed the evid e n c e s o f local iron and g las
w ay, at this juncture, northern and central parts
o f Central V ietnam w ere H an District "N hat
W ir e Nơm ".
Since 1975 a further 1000 burials of the Sa
H u y n h culture, dating from the period o f 600
BC -100 A D have been recorded and excavated.
N e w regions with n u m e ro u s sites that c a n be
recognised as local gro u p s or settlem ent cores
were have becom e know n th ro u g h this research. The
areas in Can G io district, S outheast o f Sai Gon
and Hoi A n (Lam T hi M y D z u n g 1998) and in

VNU. Journal o f Science. Soc,, Sci., Human., No IE, 2002

 Iill huriiils tradition in Soilhcast Asia 51

Q uc Lot and Duy Xuyen districts in Quang primilary a nalyses o f resin from H au X a II
Nam province (keiiK'cke, N gu y e n C hicu and cem etery have show n that the residue are
Lam Thi My Dzung 2002), arc o f particular sim ilar in c o m position to m o d ern D ipterocarp
importantce. resin. The sim ilar results also have provided o f
the sam ples from Spirit Cave and N o e n U- loke
Beside the jar burials (w hich was certainly
(Thailand).
the m ost popular funeral rite in Sa H uynh
culture) there were lecogm zed and extended It is difficult to c o m p a re the j a r burials

burials in several cem eteries, for instance in from Southeast A sian Island and those from

Hau X a I, Binh Chau, G o Ma Voi , Bau Tram - Central and Southern V ie tn a m due to

1ia n g Doniz Du...This practice also is fam iliar ch ro n o lo g ial o rder. T h o se from Islands m ostly

with som e burials sites on islands. belong to first m ille n n iu m A D , w hile the Sa
H uynh culture ja r burials were dated from 6 0 0
T here was and practice o f using two jars
BC to I AD . W e have not uncovered yet the j a r

burials w hich belong to

period after II A D . T h e
sim ilarities in pottery
and o rn am e n ts in two

asse m b la g e s were

subjects o f m u c h studies

of Solheim , Be 11wood,
H igham ... The reasons
of their sim ilary also

were e xplained bv the

m o v em e n ts o f people or
e x c h a n g e netw ork... W e
as the o uter and inner cofins . At G o Dua site want only to psescnt as detailed as possible the
(D uy X uycn district, Ọ u a n g N am province) we data from two regions tw o show that each o f
have uncovered a group o f five burials o f this them evolved differently. Everv region had it's
kind. In the o th er sites the double jar coffins own features, w hile sharing several c o m m o n
also have been provided but as a single characteristics.
occasion
On the o ther hand, it is w orthy to
The Using o f resin to join the cover-rim indicated that the ja r burials were the funeral
and jar-m oulh was abundant. In the case of ph e n o m e n o n w hich appeared in s o m e hudge
extended burial at G o M a Voi site, the grave areas in E urope and A sia at the apro x im ate ly
goods were laid on the resin platform . The sam e period over 3000 BP (H .F o k k e n s

IM Journal o f Science, Soc , Sc I.. Human , 2002

52 Lam Thi My Dzung

1997:360). T h e g e n e sis o f this p h e n o n m e n o n in " category " o f people united by and identity o f
E urope w as related to m ig r a tio n (C hild 1958: though, beliefs, dayly activities and ethnicity
178); social c h a n g e o r e c o n o m ic proce sse s or (ibit. 41). This opinion is also valid in the case
crices. F o k k e n s (1 9 9 7 ) has s e e n the c h a n g e s in of Southeast A sia n Islands and C entral
burial rites, s e ttle m e n t stru c tu re and ho a rd in g V ietnam jar-burials tradition.
p ractices in the L o w e r R h in e B asin as the
T h o u g h the conventional view is th a t the
results of a tra n s fo r m a tio n of ideology,
the dispersal o f ja r burilas was the m a jo r
c o n sisten t w ith the d iss o lu tio n o f a s o c ie ty into
contribution o f A u s tro n e s ia n spe ak in g people
sm aller, m o re a u to n o m o u s so c ia l units th ro u g h
m o v em e n ts (B ellw ood 1985, H ig h a m
the expansion o f the exchange netw ork (ibit. 360).
1996,2001...) w e have to indicate that these

c. E a s t A s ia : peoples were habitated C e n tra l V ie tn a m in the

period as early as in S outheast A sia n Islands.
In the F a r E a st, j a r b u rials w ere a lready T he proposal date is a b o u t 3500 BP. T hese
k n o w n in C h in a 's Y a n g s h a o C u ltu re and in groups o f A u stro n e sian p eo p les to g e th e r w ith
J a p a n d u rin g the m id d le -la te J o m o n period, the local peoples who were distributed in
but, in both cases, this fu n e ra ry c u s to m seem s Central V ie tn a m from N eolithic tim e have
to be practiced not o n a large sc a le b u t lim ited created the new c u ltu res , w hich partly w ere
to the in h u m a tio n of c h ild r e n in jars of defined as Pre-Sa H u y n h ia n . T he Sa H u y n h
ordinary use (R iotto 1995:40). H o w e v er, in the culture from 600 BC w as a result of a
K o re a o f the Iro n A g e - P r o to T h r e e K in g d o m s com bination o f a native culture and the new
periods a n d in J a p a n d u r in g the Y a y o i period, technology from the o u tsid e . T h e re are m an y
j a r burials b e c o m e so fre q u e n tly used . In both features and rem ains, the origin o f w h ic h can
countries, ja r burials w e re d istrib u te d in lim ited be found locally fro m th e internal pre- Sa
areas. In K orea, j a r bụ ria ls in c o m b in a tio n with H uy n h ia n developm ent. F o r e x am ple, there are
shell m o u n d s have b e e n p re s e n te d the one o f jar-coffin burials as w e ll as cord m arked,
two traditions, w h ic h w ere re c o g n iz e d in Iron incised and painted p o tte ry existing in the Pre-
Age. T his traditions w as c h a ra c te riz e d for Sa H u y n h cultures. S o m e o f decorative items
so u th e rn c o astal a rea a n d c u ltu ral artifacts and are provided from their p ro to ty p e s from earlier
cu s to m s m a y ha v e b e e n traveled a lo n g the period. W hile a c cepting the role o f people's
coastal route (C hoi S u n g -ra k 1996: 35). R iotto m o vem ents at certain lev e l. W e believe that
(1995) recognized that j a r burials are found in m ost o f the people w h o w<ere responsible for Sa
K orea in a quite p recise g e o g ra p h ic a l c o n te x t H uynh culture also had liv e d the from the Pre-
w hich was pro b ab ly a territory in h ab ite d by a Sa H uy n h ia n period. O f course w e can not
particular group, w h o s e c u ltu re d iffe re d from ignore the im pacts o f the m u tu a l and m ultitude
o ther groups. His o p in io n is, the use o f ja r e x changes betw een Sa H u y n h and Southeast
burials is to be se en as the e x p re s s io n o f a A sian Islands, N o rth ern V ie tn a m -D o n g Son

VNU. Journal o f Science, Soc., Sci., Human., No IE, 2002

Jar burials tradition 111 SiHilhcast Asia 53

culture. Southern V ictnam -D ong Nai culture, A c c o rd in g to us the internal cultural

C hinese Han (later period), India (final period). evolution in C oastal C entral V ie tn a m m ight be

Southeast m ainland (Thailand and Laos)... d e veloped in som e stages as follow:

T h e jar burials 111 Sa H uynh culture were

P re -S a h u y n h ia n j a r b u ria ls stage (stone
originated in pre-Sa H u y n h ia n jar burials.
tools , p o ttery). T h e j a r c o ffin s varied fr o m
Between them we can see a lot o f c o m m o n
features in funeral rites, pottery form s and sp h erica l b ody to eg g -sh a p ed bogy . 3500 BP-

decorations... But for the e stablishm ent o f Sa 600 B C .

H uynh culture characteristics there were

certainly the impacts of external factors. E xtented burials assocừứed with bronze
Despite the num erous n e w ly discovered burial artefacts. The strong acculturatioiis with D ong
finds, a lot of unansw ered questions still S o n culture. 600 -500 B C (?).
remain. H ow ever, the jig s a w puzzle o f the Sa
H uynh culture has undoubtedly been enriched S a H u y n h j a r b u rials stage (iron to o ls ,
by m an y exciting new aspects. glass). 4 00 B C - I A D .

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