A number of artifacts have been discovered in the southern area of the Ho Dynasty Citadel’s trench in the north-central Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa, newswire Vietnamplus reported Wednesday.

According to Do Quang Trong, director of the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Preservation Center, scientists have found more vital artifacts which contribute to the process of researching, preserving and promoting the heritage.

The excavation was conducted in an area of 2,040 square meters, in which excavators discovered a 61-meter wide guard trench with stone blocks, a macadam layer 5-10 centimeters thick, and a 7-meter wide stone embankment.

Some 89 large rectangular limestone and schist pieces, as well as many valuable terracotta artifacts such as tiles, bricks, enamel pottery and crockery, were also found.

The People’s Committee of Thanh Hoa Province and the Ho Dynasty Citadel Heritage Preservation Center will continue to research and excavate more trench areas to the west, east and north of the citadel, in an attempt to clearly understand its original scale and structure.

The discovery of the antiques reveals the unique value of the Ho Dynasty Citadel, as its trench was not only a guard station but also a workshop for refining stones to construct the world heritage building. The Ho Dynasty Citadel was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2011.

According to UNESCO, the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty was built in 1397 and was composed of the Inner Citadel, the La Thanh Outer Wall and the Nam Giao Altar, covering 155.5 hectares and surrounded by a buffer zone of 5,078.5 hectares.

It is located in accordance with geomantic principles in a landscape of great scenic beauty between the Ma and Buoi Rivers in Vinh Loc District, Thanh Hoa Province.Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!