Sa Huỳnh culture

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Prehistoric Cultures of Vietnam
Carve images on Dong Son Bronze drums
Paleolithic Age
Sơn Vi Culture (c. 20,000–12,000 BCE)
Mesolithic Age
Hoabinhian (c. 10,000–2,000 BCE)
 Bacsonian (c. 8,000–4,000 BCE)
Neolithic Age
Quỳnh Văn Culture (c. 8,000–6,000 BCE)
Đa Bút Culture (c. 6,000–5,000 BCE)
Bronze Age
Phùng Nguyên Culture (c. 5,000–4,000 BCE)
Đồng Đậu Culture (c. 4,000–2,500 BCE)
Gò Mun Culture (c. 2,500–2,000 BCE)
Iron Age
Đông Sơn Culture (c. 2,000 BCE–200 CE)
Sa Huỳnh Culture (c. 1,000 BCE–200 CE)
Óc Eo Culture (c. 1–630 CE)
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Asia in 200 BC, showing Sa Huynh and their neighbors.
Asia in 200 BC, showing Sa Huynh and their neighbors.

The Sa Huỳnh culture (Vietnamese: Văn hóa Sa Huỳnh) was a culture in central and southern Vietnam that flourished between 1000 BC and 200 AD. Archaeological sites from the culture have been discovered from the Mekong Delta to just south of the Tonkin region. The Sa Huynh people were most likely the predecessors of the Cham people, the founders of the kingdom of Champa. The site at Sa Huynh was discovered in 1909. Sa Huynh sites were rich in locally-worked iron artefacts, typified by axes, swords, spearheads, knives and sickles. In contrast, bronze artefacts were dominant in the Dong Son culture sites found in northern Vietnam and elsewhere in mainland Southeast Asia.

The Sa Huynh culture cremated adults and buried them in jars covered with lids, a practice unique to the culture. Ritually broken offerings usually accompanied the jar burials. The culture is also typified by its unique ear ornaments featuring two-headed animals. The ornaments were commonly made from jade (nephrite), but also made from glass. Bead ornaments were also commonly found in Sa Huynh burials, most commonly made from glass.

The Sa Huynh culture showed evidence of an extensive trade network. Sa Huynh beads were made from glass, carnelian, agate, olivine, zircon, gold and garnet; most of these materials were not local to the region, and were most likely imported. Han Dynasty-styled bronze mirrors were also found in Sa Huynh sites. Conversely, Sa Huynh produced ear ornaments have been found in archaeological sites in Central Thailand, Taiwan (Orchid Island), and the Philippines (Palawan).

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