What is the distinct characteristics of Dong Son culture?

The Dong Son people were skilled at cultivating rice, keeping water buffalos and pigs, fishing and sailing in long dugout canoes. They also were skilled bronze casters, which is evidenced by the Dong Son drum found widely throughout northern Vietnam and South China.

How long did the Dong Son civilization last?

The Dong Son culture, transformed by further Chinese and then Indian influence, became the basis of the general civilization of the region. Remnants of the culture have been found dating from as late as the 16th century, though most of it disappeared after the region was conquered by China in the 2nd century bc.

What is the place origin of Dong Son?

Dong Son drums are thought to have originated during the last few centuries BC at production centres in southern China (especially the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan) and northern Vietnam (Calo 2014: 35).

How were the Dong Son drums created?

A Đông Sơn drum (also called Heger Type I drum) is a type of ancient bronze drum created by the Đông Sơn culture in the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. The drums were produced from about 600 BCE or earlier until the third century CE; they are one of the culture’s most astounding examples of metalworking.

Why was the Dong Son drum important to Vietnam?

The Dong Son culture ranks among the great bronze cultures of the world, and its creators were the ancestors of the Vietnamese. The Dong Son drum is a symbol of the ancient civilization of Vietnam. They have been called ‘‘the key to understanding Dong Son culture and thus the spirit of Vietnam”.

Where did the Dongson culture live in Vietnam?

Updated November 08, 2019 Dongson culture (sometimes spelled Dong Son, and translated as East Mountain) is the name given to a loose confederation of societies who lived in northern Vietnam likely between 600 BC-AD 200.

When was the first Dong Son drum made?

The earliest drum found in 1876 existed 2700 years ago in Wangjiaba in Yunnan Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture China. It is classified into the bigger and heavier Yue drums including the Dong Son drums, and the Dian drums, into eight subtypes, purported to be invented by Ma Yuan and Zhuge Liang.

What kind of art did the Dong Son make?

The spiral is a frequent Dong Son decorative motif; later Dong Son art may have been responsible for transmitting—especially into Vietnam, Cambodia, and Borneo—versions of the contemporary Chinese Zhou dynasty ’s asymmetrical squared-hook patterns. There is good evidence of Indian contacts from the 1st century ce.