Go Sanh potteries are exhibited at a museum

Located near a national highway connecting Quy Nhon city and the Central Highlands, Go Ganh is a favourite with visitors.

Phu Quang villagers said that they often find many pieces of clay pottery or undamaged bowls, plates and cups while they were digging for house construction or clearing land for cultivation. Although they didn’t know when the artefacts were buried, they guessed that the antique pottery and enamel articles were produced by the Cham people.

In the 1970s, Go Sanh ceramics made their appearance in various areas where antique dealers travelled, attracting much attention of Vietnamese and foreign ancient ceramics researchers. In March 1974, a group of archaeologists from Ho Chi Minh city came to Phu Quang village for a study. Although they didn’t excavate, they supposed that Cham people had made the products.

Go Sanh pottery artefacts were mentioned again 10 years later. On the basis of an available collection of Go Sanh pottery owned by a Vietnamese collector, Rosana Brown - a prominent expert on Southeast Asian ancient ceramics – wrote about Go Sanh ceramics and its pottery-kilns in a whole chapter of her Ph.D thesis. On these sources of information, Ha Noi-based Vietnam Archaeology Institute, Binh Dinh Museum drew out a plan of long-term study on the vestige of Go Sanh ancient ceramics. There had been four excavations by 2000.

Binh Dinh has found so far 5 sites of ceramic pottery kilns, of which 3 are in An Nhon district. They include Go Sanh, Go Cay Ke and Go Hoi. All of them locate along the Kon River which flows to Thi Nai Bay (present-day Quy Nhon port). Such a favorable sea route!

The four excavations were done in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 (this time with participation of Japan experts). Among the 5 archaeological sites of unearthed pottery kilns in the land of the then Vijaya (Victory) Cham kingdom, the kilns No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 located at Go Sanh.

The kiln No.1 was named Cay Quang. It was in pretty undamaged condition with intact walls, floor and finished clay objects. The kiln was built in tubular shape with total length of 14 metres. It had a rectangular firing champer which flared out at the end to the width of 1.6 metres. The front flue was 2.8 metres wide.

There was a hole at one side of the kiln wall to load and unload the pottery wares. A straight 5.5-metre-high wall was erected to separate the kiln room and the firebox. At the end of the kiln, there were fire-resistant brickwork posts for smoke and flame exhaust. The posts were arranged in row with 6 holes.

There were 2 layers of floor which were made at different stages. The difference could be found at the inner firing chamber with a 0.3-metre-thick floor. The kiln walls were made from bricks laid with clay. This technique was very unique. The researchers could found no similar one all over the country.

The kiln No. 2 was called Cay Man (Cay Roi) and located southern Sanh hamlet. Its construction structure resembled the first one with clay laid brickwork walls and the posts for flame exhaust.

The kiln No. 3 was built earliest among the three kilns, said the researchers. Its walls were purely made from soil. The stoking was 1.2 metres wide while the width of its end was 1.7 metres.

Body of the kiln was 5.3 metres long. At the end wall, there were 4 holes for smoke went out. The chimney was small with upward. Such unique way of firing by the Cham people hadn’t mentioned in any book before.

The Binh Dinh Museum has a relatively diversified collection of Go Sanh ceramics. Studies and researches on the collection help to understand more about role of the kilns in the past. Most of the exhibits displayed at the museum are bowls, plates and enamel basins, unglazed tile and decorative items. The Celadon enamel bowls and plates, the brown enamel pots and vases have similar characters with ceramic products from Fuijian (China).

Most of ceramic products made in Go Sanh had grey or reddish glazes. The enamel was equally thick but structurally unstable, creating unique traits of Go Sanh ceramics.

Go Sanh ceramic products satisfied not only at-site local need but also export demand to South East Asia, even to further place of Egypt. Among object found at a wrecked ship in Calatagan of Philippine waters, there were thousands of Go Sanh ceramic wares.

There hasn’t enough evidence to make sure about the exact dates of pottery making at Go Sanh in particular and in other lands of Cham people in general.

Yet, with the archaeological excavation results at Go Sanh and abroad, it can be stated that the traditional pottery making village was in its full bloom by 15th-16th century. Some Vietnamese experts guess that the pottery making in Binh Dinh probably firstly came into existence from the late 13th century to the 15th century or the 16th century at the latest.

On the basis of historical books about the foundation and development of Binh Dinh, the existing artefacts, the comparison of the available exhibits’ designs and ethnological surveys’ results, the researchers came to a definite conclusion that the ancient Cham people was actually the owners of the pottery kilns at Go Sanh and other Binh Dinh-based localities.

• Source: Binh Dinh Monography