March 2026 Field Survey Report (1): Focusing on the Thành Lồi Citadel and the Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary

Yu Kitahara
Designated Assistant Professor, Advanced Asian Archaeological Research Center, Kyushu University

This seminar presents the results of our field survey in Vietnam from 6 to 19 March 2026, focusing on a reconnaissance survey at the Thành Lồi Citadel in Huế City on 9 March and a research meeting at the Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary in Đà Nẵng City on 11 March. According to one hypothesis, the Thành Lồi Citadel is identified with Khu Túc Citadel, a military stronghold of Lâm Ấp (Linyi; Champa) dating to the third–sixth centuries CE, although its date and function remain unclear. Since March 2025, we have conducted preliminary investigations, including surveys of brick walls, photogrammetric 3D modeling, and collection of brick samples for magnetic analyses.

During the March reconnaissance, concentrations of fired bricks and deposits containing lateritic gravel were identified at several locations presumed to correspond to the slopes and summits of the earthen ramparts. We also discussed integrating multidisciplinary datasets into a comprehensive “archaeological site map.” At the Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, where numerous Champa brick temples dating from the seventh–fourteenth centuries CE are preserved, we visited the ongoing restoration work in Groups E and F. We discussed systematic sampling of original brick fragments that will eventually be reused as mortar for archaeointensity experiments. This sampling is expected to enable more detailed examination of inter-sample variability in our existing archaeointensity dataset. In August 2026, we plan to initiate systematic research for data integration and site mapping at Thành Lồi and conduct archaeomagnetic sampling at Temples E5, E6, and F1 at Mỹ Sơn.