IDENTIFICATION, CONSERVATION AND PROMOTION OF OC EO -BA THE (AN GIANG PROVINCE) RELICS VALUE BASED ON NEW RESEARCH RESULTS

Abstract

Recent studies indicated that Oc Eo - Ba The was a significant “urban” of Funan in the first century AD. Due to its location at the gateway of the ocean, which connected to the far inland through a system of canals, this urban was a crosswalk location where commercial activities were vibrant, and connected merchants from the East and West countries. The recent excavation also revealed the remains of ancient religious architectures and relics of Oc Eo residents. The artifacts found in cultural layers have contributed to filling the mosaic picture of the cultural and commercial relations between Oc Eo and distant lands such as Rome, West Asia, India, China, and ancient countries in Southeast Asia circa the second to sixth centuries. This article introduces new findings on the role of the Oc Eo ancient urban in order to identifying the cultural heritage values for the future sustainable socio-economic development strategy of An Giang province.