Elite Control of Production: An analysis of Bronze Production’s Influence on Urban Power Structures at Co Loa

Simone Tripoli* and Nam C. Kim

This paper investigates the role of bronze production at Co Loa in shaping the social and political power structures that characterize the development of this extensive urban settlement. The Co Loa citadel, distinguished by its expansive size (approximately 600 hectares) and its monumental architecture, stands as a unique site within the Red River Valley of northern Vietnam. It is widely regarded as one of the earliest, if not the first, cities to emerge in Southeast Asia. Consequently, such a substantial urban settlement developed a highly hierarchical social structure, which was likely closely associated with its militaristic culture. Notably, the production of bronze goods at Co Loa is intricately linked to its militaristic ethos. The production of bronze is a tradition that originates directly from the Dong Son cultural sphere and exerts a profound influence on the political and social structures observed at Co Loa. This influence arises because the production of bronze goods generates and develops socially charged meanings that are derived from the social relationships between elite-elite groups and elite-common groups. Therefore, this paper examines the control of both the production and consumption of bronze goods at Co Loa, commencing with the acquisition of materials, the regulation of workshops and craftspeople, and culminating in the eventual dissemination of the material goods.