JOURNAL OF INDO-PACIFIC ARCHAEOLOGY 39 (2015): 1-17 HINDU BELIEFS AND THE MARITIME NETWORK IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM DURING THE EARLY COMMON ERA

In recent decades many artefacts related to ancient Hindu belief have been discovered in southern Vietnam; in addi-tion to those unearthed from other sites in Southeast Asia. These artefacts have been found at various types of ar-chaeological site and clearly played different functions in the religious beliefs and daily lives of the people. This essay will make a comparative analysis of the Vietnamese archaeological resource within the broader regional con-text in order to better understand the history of the pene-tration of Hinduism into Southeast Asia. The following subjects will be addressed: typical sites that exposed evi-dence of Hindu rites and practices, characteristics of ar-tefacts that represent the propagation and extension of Hindu belief and practices in southern Vietnam, the role of maritime trading networks in the propagation of Hindu beliefs and the formation of the first state in southern Vi-etnam during the early 1st millennium AD