During the process of taking biological samples for DNA testing of martyrs' remains at Ha Tien Ward Martyrs' Cemetery, An Giang province, Team No. 1 and No. 3 of DNA Sampling Team, Steering Committee 515 of An Giang province discovered many artifacts buried with martyrs' remains.
Notably, there are portraits, combs, belts and some personal belongings still preserved after many years. The artifacts are of particular interest to the task force because behind each item can be a clue to help a family recognize their loved ones.
According to the results of implementation until August 17, 2026, at Ha Tien Martyrs' Cemetery, the task force has opened 707 graves, of which 577 graves have been sampled for DNA. A special thing in the process of performing this task is that some graves still have very unique traces of the person who sacrificed.
Among the artifacts discovered, there is a portrait photo that has faded, clung to the ground and deteriorated a lot over time. However, the face of the person in the photo still has lines that can be observed. This is a particularly valuable detail because for relatives of martyrs, sometimes a face, hairstyle, costume or familiar characteristic in an old photo can also evoke memories of relatives who have been apart for decades.
Along with the photo, the task force also found personal combs. After a long time lying in the ground, the combs have faded and clung to the soil, but the basic shape is still quite clear. In another tomb is the belt, the metal part has been heavily oxidized, while some sections of the belt are still intact.
Immediately upon detection, officers of the sample collection teams proceed to record the location of the grave, collect and preserve each artifact separately and compare with relevant records, minimizing confusion between the graves. The artifacts are considered an important source of supplementary information besides DNA biological samples and martyr records.
Across An Giang province, as of August 17, 2026, the task force has opened 3,055 graves and taken 2,159 DNA biological samples. Currently, 535 samples have been handed over to the testing agency.
