The culture of Dong Son was first discovered in 1924 at the river Ma side, in the commune of Dong Son, huyen of Dong Son (now districi of Ham Rong, Thanh Hoa city). In this very place was first discovered the collection of vestiges of the age of metals in Vietnam. Since then, the culture of Dong Son has been studied and explored many times, chiefly in the three big rivers of north Vietnam, it is the centres of Red River, of River Ma and of River Ca. At these three centers, the archaeologists have found the successive stages of cultural development to arrive at last at the summit which is the culture of Dong Son. Besides the principal lines of development, including the three centers of Dong Son of the three rivers, the culture of Dong Son comprises also other elements showing the cultural background of different regions and giving to the collection various features: sea – mountains – middle region and plain. After 85 years of study and exploration, Dong Son has affirmed its internal strength of development, and also contributions from other cultures, as well as its own contributions to other cultures of continental and insular South-east Asia.