[M-ZZ43] Transdisciplinary Network linking Space-Earth Environmental Science with History and Archaeology

[MZZ43-05] Introducing systematic magnetic analysis to solve archaeological problems in Vietnam

*Yu Kitahara¹, Thi Phuong Lan Luu², Van Tho Nguyen³, Hoang Bach Linh Nguyen⁴, Tadahiro Hatakeyama⁵, Yuhji Yamamoto¹, Chie Kato⁶, Masao Ohno⁶, Mariko Yamagata⁷ (1.Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, 2.Institute of Geophysics, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 3.Management Board for MySon Cultural Heritage, 4.Division of Humanities, Graduate School of Human and Socio-Environmental Studies, Kanazawa University, 5.Research Institute of Frontier Science and Technology, Okayama University of Science, 6.Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, 7.Curator Course, Certification Courses, Rikkyo University)

Keywords:Magnetic analysis, Vietnam, Archaeology, Archaeomagnetism, Archaeo-rock magnetism, Environmental magnetism

Natural science methods such as radiocarbon dating, thermoluminescence dating, clay body analysis, pollen analysis and natural geography have been actively introduced into archaeological research in Vietnam. Such natural science methods have contributed to advancing research on key issues in Vietnamese archaeology, such as elucidating the realities of the Hoabinhian culture in the northern part, the Sa Huynh culture in the central part, and the Oc Eo culture in the southern part. Magnetic analysis is also a natural science method.
Magnetic analysis for archaeological sites and artifacts in Vietnam is unique in that it has been developed based on rock magnetiam, especially environmental magnetism, different from the practice in Japan, Europe and the United States, which is based on paleomagnetism. In particular, since the 2000s, research on magnetic susceptibility measurements of sediments in cave and rockshelter sites, led by a research group at the Institute of Geophysics, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, has made a major contribution to elucidating paleoenvironmental changes during the period of the Hoabinhian culture (e.g. Luu Thi Phuong Lan et al., 2009; Nguyen Khac Su et al., 2018).
Since 2022, we have continued the pioneering practice for environmental magnetic analysis of sediments in archaeological sites, while systematically introducing new magnetic analysis methods, such as archaeomagnetism and archaeo-rock magnetism, and trying to apply them to solve a wide range of archaeological problems in Vietnam. In particular, some progress has been made, although many problems remain, in the following areas: (1) estimating the age of archaeological materials using archaeointensity secular variation curves, (2) estimating the thermal history and usage of artifacts based on stepwise thermal demagnetization and rock magnetic analysis, and (3) estimating changes in the geographic environment around archaeological sites based on environmental magnetic analysis.
In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the current state of archaeological research in Vietnam using systematic magnetic analysis, and discuss future research developments and specific topics.