Transformation of Burial Practices through the Tombs of The Le Dynasty (1428-1789) In Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

NGUYỄN Chiến Thắng

Mortuary practices in medieval Vietnam, documented through excavations and research from the early 20th century to the present, have provided much information and interpretation regarding these burial sites and practices; however, the theory of the archaeology of death and burial are prompting further research and in-depth interpretation. Through the theory of the archaeology of death and burial, with an approach that combines material culture studies, spatial analysis, ritual analysis, and worship analysis, this study aims to provide new insights into the burial sites and practices used to by the royal and noble families of the Le Dynasty in Thanh Hoa province (Vietnam) from the 15th to the 18th centuries. The research results show that Le Dynasty society practiced a burial tradition that was more prominent than previous dynasties, with burial practices that met the evolving funeral customs and maintained social beliefs, including: A new composite material used to protect underground tomb space while stone sculptures (statues, inscriptions) on the ground symbolized power and the community's declaration of protection; embalming practices not only demonstrated high technical skill in handling corpses by preserving as much of the body shape as possible without removing any parts, but also represented a ritual of preserving the corpse without interference; and ancestor worship, which arose from the belief in immortal souls, was enriched by Feng Shui and Confucian theories, further affirming the power of ancestors. This research encourages further discussion of medieval tomb and mausoleum archaeology and death from a Vietnam perspective.