300BC – 200AD Dong Son Bracelet

Description

Ancient 300 BC – 200 AD Bronze Age Dong Son Culture Bracelet (c)

Country: Vietnam

Excavation Region: Trowulan   East Java   Indonesia.

Period: 300 BC – 200 AD Bronze Age

Width: 9cm

Weight: 350g

The bracelet was cast during the Dong Son period of 500 BC to 300 AD. It was acquired several decades ago in Java along with many other ancient artefacts. It is to be enjoyed as a nice historical piece of very ancient Vietnamese history. It was excavated in an area of the former Majapahit Empire in Eastern Java. Many bronze artefacts are incidental finds by farmers agricultural activities – or unearthed by diggers who dig pits panning the alluvial soil for gold.

The Dong Son culture was a Bronze Age culture in ancient Vietnam centred at the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam from 1000 BC until the first century AD. Its influence spread to other parts of Southeast Asia, including Maritime Southeast Asia, throughout the first millennium BC. The culture long remained a mystery to western archaeologists, and it was known only through its bronze objects, many of which were taken from burial sites. Dong Son bronze objects were exhibited in Europe for a century before their original location was determined.

Before the arrival of the Hindu/Buddhist cultures in Indonesia, there was a period of pre-history. Not much is known about the culture of this time except that many artefacts came from Dong Son in Vietnam. It was a bronze age culture and their skill in casting is best demonstrated by the bronze drums which are dated as being from about 600 BC. As well as drums castings were of axes, daggers, spears, bracelets, rings and small animals.

This heavy bracelet has a nice aqua green patination. Hence it has signs of having been under the ground for many centuries. Please view all of the photos…