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Dong Son bronze drums

Type Object Region Southeast Asia Time c. 1–500

Dong Son bronze drums are the most representative bronze ritual vessels of the Dong Son culture of the Red River region in Southeast Asia from around…

Timeline

  1. c. 1–200Dong Son site, Thanh Hoa Province · Thanh HoaAround the turn of the era, Dong Son bronze drums took on a typical style with a flattened drum body, four loop handles, and sun and warship motifs on the drum face; casting techniques were mature, and the drums became markers of ritual status and identity for the chieftain class.
  2. c. 200–400Northern mainland Southeast Asia · Mainland Southeast AsiaBronze drums spread through trade and ethnic migration to Lingnan and the Southeast Asian interior, used in sacrifices, weddings and funerals, and military assembly; the motifs reflect concepts of rice cultivation, seafaring, and sun worship.
  3. c. 400–500Red River region · VietnamAround the fifth century, Dong Son bronze drums were still in use and being imitated across Southeast Asia, becoming an important material symbol linking the cultural identity of the early polities of the region.

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