Do Xuan Trung, Director of Hai Phong Museum, said at presentlocal scientists have no proper way to preserve the 36 stakes found in thefield.
“We decided not to excavate any more in the field, butexamine surrounding areas,” he said.
Le Van Thanh, Secretary of the Hai Phong City PartyCommittee, asked the scientists to examine the area thoroughly.
He also asked concerned agencies to adjust building plansaround the area and proceed to recognise Cao Quy stakes as a historicalrelic site, preparing to ask for the State’s recognition as a relic site.
Between November 27 and December 19, the Vietnam ArchaeologyInstitute in co-ordination with Hai Phong Department of Culture andSports and Hai Phong Museum excavated three holes over a total area of950sq.m.
They found 27 firm dark-red wooden stakes buried insilt. All the stakes’ heads were broken. On the stakes, there are traces ofnails for tying up string.
According to radio carbon dating, the stakes were madebetween 1270 and 1430 AD.
Scientists initially concluded that the field was on astream leading to Bach Dang River, with big and small wooden stakesinstalled alternatively creating different layers.
The site might have been part of a trap made by the DaiViet [then Vietnam] army to repel Yuan-Mongol invaders’ boats in 1288.
The stakes would have been deployed by Tran Dynasty(1226-1400) fighters as a trap to destroy enemy boats and divert them to followtheir planned waterway to Bach Dang River, where another stake trap was installedto completely defeat the enemy boats.
Dai Viet army won the battle that time, which was a historicvictory to weaken the Yuan-Mongol empire and prevented them from invading Japanand Southeast Asia, according to historians.
The empire invaded Dai Viet three times (1257-1258; 1284-1285and 1287-1288), and lost it all.
Traces of the same wooden stakes have been found in YenGiang, Dong Van Muoi and Dong Ma Ngua in northern province of Quang Ninh./.