The Sa Huynh civilisation (about which very little is known) developed in the Hoi An region from 1000 BC to 2C AD, prior to the appearance of the Chams. Archaeologists and scientists are studying this culture very closely and over 20 excavation sites, centred on houses and cemeteries, have been set up in the surrounding area. These have unearthed some superb funerary urns preserved in the sand, containing the ashes and jewellery of the deceased, as well as ceramics, cooking utensils and iron tools.