Đầu Rằm: A nephrite ring manufacturing settlement in the northern red River Delta

Abstract

Archaeological excavations at the site of Đầu Rằm in northern Việt Nam provided new insights into the chronology of Tràng Kênh settlement sites that emerged in the Red River delta during first half of the 2nd millennium BCE. The investigations produced evidence for the production of nephrite/jade rings. This study confirms that Đầu Rằm was a settlement associated with the Tràng Kênh culture that specialised in the manufacture of nephrite jewellery. These settlements were likely integrated into a complex trade and exchange network that had emerged within northern Việt Nam by 4000 years ago.