| Abstract: |
During the la st 30 years, about a dozen large archaeological sites with more than 1000 burials of the Early Iron Age were excavated along the Vietnamese coast. While we know what artefacts typical of th e region and era look like, many objects can be identified and classified as originating from locations far from the site where they were excavated. The findings include bronze drums, mirrors, vessels and coins from the north (China or northern Vietnam) as well as precious stone ornaments, g la ss, the first go ld and silver or special ceramic ware from the west (India via the Thai-Malay Peninsula or via the "silver road" through northern Burma and along the Mekong River). However, not every "strange-looking" item is proof of "trade" along the maritime silk route. Sometimes it is difficult to decide which objects are really trade ware, and which instead came with migrants, as tribute, as presents of envoys, or if they might even have been locally "imitated" by itinerant craftsmen. This presentation will give some examples of how "strange objects" are often categorized too quickly as trade ware, and the products resulting from migrations are underestimated.
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