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VIETNAM

MJ23 ATW VietnamVIETNAM: A 13-inch-long piece of antler found 30 years ago at the site of Go O Chua in the Mekong Delta may be part of the oldest stringed instrument discovered in Southeast Asia. The 2,000-year-old antler, either from a sambar deer or an Indian hog deer, was originally thought to be just a well-preserved ancient organic object. However, recent analysis revealed an unusual round hole at one end. The small aperture was made deliberately and likely once held a peg used to tune the single string of what is known as a chordophone instrument.