Late-Holocene estuarine evolution influencing archeological wooden-pile sites, Bach Dang Estuary, Northern Vietnam
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19445809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nhan Tran-Thi-Thanh (VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam), Thành Đinh-Xuân (VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam), Thái Nguyễn-Đình (0000-0002-1303-0239, VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam), Trang Nguyen-Thi-Huyen (VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam), Dung Tran-Thi (0000-0001-9406-4985, VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam), Hướng Nguyễn-Văn (0000-0003-1523-5921, VNU University of Science,Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Holocene (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0959-6836 • E-ISSN: 1477-0911 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/09596836261450824 |
| OpenAlex | W7162559120 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 30 |
This study integrates geoarchaeological, sedimentological, chronological, and geomorphic evidence to determine the age and environmental context of the wooden-pile sites at Cao Quy and Dam Thuong, and to reconstruct Late-Holocene environmental change in the tide-dominated Bach Dang Estuary, northern Vietnam. Eight AMS radiocarbon ages cluster tightly between ~2515 and 2301 cal BP (~566–352 BCE), indicating that the piles represent late Dong Son stilt-house foundations rather than 13th-century battlefield stakes. Analysis of 29 sediment cores, combined with geodetic surveys of two paleo-sea level notches (+4.0 m and +2.3 m MSL), defines a five-stage environmental evolution from a Mid-Holocene marine embayment to the modern tidal plain. During ~2.7–2.2 ka cal BP, relative sea level estimated at ~1–2 m above present MSL and emergent paleo-highs on the Vinh Phuc surface created a short-lived window for settlement. Stratigraphic evidence shows that this stable phase ended abruptly after ~2.2 ka cal BP, when rapid inundation buried the sites beneath fine, anoxic estuarine muds. This short-lived flooding phase is interpreted to reflect enhanced tidal influence within a progressively infilling estuary, potentially associated with barrier or land-bridge development. The results provide a high-resolution framework linking stepwise sea-level history, estuarine dynamics, and human adaptation, illustrating how short-term hydro-morphodynamic variability shaped both settlement abandonment and exceptional archeological preservation along the northeastern margin of the Red River Delta
Bay · Environmental change · Estuary · Geoarchaeology · Holocene · Radiocarbon dating · Sediment · Tidal flat · Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics · Geological formations and processes · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |