Tra Kieu and Thanh Loi: Early Champa Citadels and the Transition from the Sa Huynh Culture to State Formation

YAMAGATA Mariko1*, Nguyen Van Quang2, KENGO Miyahara3, and SUMIKO Kubo4

This paper focuses on two early Champa citadels, Tra Kieu in Da Nang City and Thanh Loi in Hue City, to investigate the transition from the Sa Huynh culture to early state formation in Central Vietnam. While Sa Huynh sites with distinctive jar burials are distributed along the Thu Bon and Huong River valleys, these citadels were constructed in distinct locations, away from the typical sand dune burials. The earliest occupation at Tra Kieu dates to the 2nd century CE, with rampart construction likely beginning in the late 3rd or 4th century to enclose the urban settlement. In contrast, Thanh Loi has not yet been excavated, but a recent joint Vietnamese–Japanese GNSS survey produced a high-resolution digital topographic map, revealing that the citadel was built on the edge of a hilly area along the Huong River. This study presents a comparative analysis of Tra Kieu and Thanh Loi, highlighting spatial, chronological, and functional differences, and discusses their possible identification with Dian Chong and Qusu, the capital and military base of Linyi, as recorded in Chinese historical sources.