Two 1,500‑Year‑Old Brick Tombs Unearthed at Ru But, Vietnam

Rescue excavations in the Lam River basin of north‑central Vietnam have revealed two vaulted brick tombs at a site now being called Ru But. The site came to archaeologists' attention after a local resident began planting trees there in spring, exposing buried structures. Vietnam National University archaeologist Nguyen Van Anh led preliminary work and provided the dating and description of the tombs.

How the tombs were built and arranged

The burials yielded a substantial and varied assemblage of grave goods. Recovered items include:

• Glazed bowls, lids, cups, and dishes
• A probable earthenware lampstand
• Earthenware pots, jars, bottles, spindle whorls, and cups
• Stone jars, lids, and cups
• Crystal beads and coins

Together these objects indicate a mix of everyday domestic ceramics, personal ornaments, and weapons or metal tools placed in the tombs.

Nguyen Van Anh emphasized that these tombs are among the few brick burials in the region that had not been disturbed prior to exposure. Given their intact condition and the likely wider context of burial activity in the area, the team decided to backfill the excavated features. The purpose of backfilling is to protect the site and materials until a more comprehensive investigation of Ru But and the surrounding landscape can be planned and resourced.

The tombs' architectural plan and brickwork place them within a temporal window spanning the late Roman‑period centuries in Southeast Asia — the fourth through sixth centuries AD. The combination of glazed ceramics, stone vessels, beads, multiple metal objects, and coinage provides material evidence for mortuary practices and craft connections in the Lam River basin during that period.

Practical implications for future research

Because the site will be backfilled, further study awaits formal excavation campaigns. A targeted program could map additional tombs or settlement traces in the area, undertake systematic artifact conservation and cataloguing, and apply scientific analyses (for instance, materials characterization, metallurgy, or residue studies) if funding and permits allow. For now, the Ru But finds add a concrete, well‑preserved case of vaulted brick burial architecture to the regional record.