According to the records of Lao Dong Newspaper reporters, currently, the provincial-level relic site Mai Da Dieu (in Khieng village, Ha Trung commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province) is abandoned, with weeds growing wildly inside.
It is known that the Mai Da Dieu archaeological site was identified as the place where ancient Vietnamese people lived thousands of years ago. In 1984, archaeologists began exploring the Mai Da Dieu area and collected more than 300 artifacts from the Paleolithic era. In 1986 - 1989 and 2014, Vietnamese archaeologists cooperated with Bulgarian archaeologists to conduct excavations 4 times. The results yielded many artifacts of the Son Vi culture, grinding tables, 4 animal bone tools and many flakes. Archaeologists also found 10 ancient tombs and remains, including 1 double burial tomb, 2 relatively intact fossilized skeletons that have never been discovered anywhere else in Vietnam in the Son Vi culture.
With the above archaeological values, on January 10, 2005, the Mai Da Dieu archaeological site was ranked as a provincial relic by the Thanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee. After 20 years of being ranked as a provincial relic, this place has now been almost "forgotten" and abandoned.
A representative of the People's Committee of Ha Trung commune, Ba Thuoc district, Thanh Hoa province confirmed that in recent years, the Mai Da Dieu archaeological site has not received attention, restoration, or embellishment.
“Since being recognized as a provincial relic site, only a surrounding wall and a signboard have been built. Other items have not been invested in. Currently, the key to the gate of the relic site is kept by the head of Khieng village and is only opened once a year at the beginning of the new year to organize cleaning, clearing and a festival to pray for good luck for the locality and the people,” said a representative of the Ha Trung Commune People’s Committee. Faced with this situation, the locality has repeatedly petitioned higher-level agencies and functional sectors to pay attention, restore and embellish. However, to date, it has not been implemented.
Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the local people and people of Ha Trung commune hold a festival, offering incense and praying for good luck at the Mai Da Dieu archaeological site, to commemorate their ancestors, the origin of the nation and pray for a year of favorable weather, good wind, and bountiful crops. This is a typical cultural beauty of the Muong Ai people in Ha Trung commune, Ba Thuoc district.
