Recently, the phenomenon of rice grains believed to be 3000 years old germinating has been a focal point of attention for the press, scientists, and the public.The units that discovered and excavated these rice grains were the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Hanoi Museum. The discovery site is Thanh Den (Tu Lap commune, Me Linh district, Hanoi) – a famous archaeological site, considered the largest metallurgical and bronze casting center in Vietnam during the Pre-Dong Son period.
In an interview with the press, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thi My Dung - Director of the Museum of Anthropology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities - and the person directly in charge of the excavation, stated: The burnt rice grains were discovered in kitchen waste pits at Thanh Den, at a depth of 1 meter below the ground. After soaking in water for about 2 days, 10 grains germinated and sprouted leaves. Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thi My Dung also presented numerous pieces of evidence to argue and affirm that the newly germinated grains are 3000 years old and belong to the Dong Dau culture. Immediately after discovering the germination of the excavated grains, Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thi My Dung and her colleagues reviewed the site, directly observed, and checked the video recordings and photographs of the excavation to rule out all possibilities that these grains came from a modern civilization and were merely coincidentally present at the excavation site. The germination of 3,000-year-old rice grains has astonished and even raised doubts among scientists. Mr. Nguyen Van Bo, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, told the press: “In principle, it is very difficult for rice grains from 3,000 years ago to still germinate. However, we do not rule out this possibility because it is very likely that these grains were preserved in a special environment unknown to humans.” Many leading experts in archaeology and agriculture visited the site to observe the excavated grains. Professor Dao The Tuan, a leading professor of agriculture, commented: “These grains are short and wide, not long and slender like tropical rice, which is also the shape of the oldest rice varieties in Vietnam, such as upland rice and glutinous rice.” Mr. Nguyen Lan Cuong, Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Archaeological Association, stated: “...I am completely convinced that the germinated rice grains are 3,000 years old.” However, scientists can only hypothesize that the rice grains, buried underground for 3000 years, germinated because some special conditions created an absolutely anaerobic environment in the Thanh Den archaeological site where the grains were stored, thus preserving their vitality. Currently, eight germinated rice grains have been sent to the Institute of Agricultural Genetics for cultivation, care, and research. However, experts also believe that the rice must be grown, its leaves separated, its genes decoded, and then compared with the genome of modern rice plants before a final conclusion can be reached on whether or not it is an ancient rice variety. This is a rather complex task, difficult to carry out in Vietnam. Nevertheless, speaking to the press, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development stated that if it is truly necessary and scientists propose it, the Ministry will cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to implement it, regardless of the cost. Although no final conclusion has been reached, this discovery is considered an extremely important and unique finding in archaeology. Scientists are facing the possibility of finding the genome of a 3000-year-old ancient rice variety, providing valuable information about the rice-farming civilization of our ancestors. According to Le Duy Ham, Director of the Institute of Agricultural Genetics, if this is indeed an ancient rice variety, it would be an unprecedented discovery with immense historical and genetic significance.
