(HBO) – The Hoa Binh Civilisation is a renowned prehistoric civilisation in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. It is associated with French archaeologist Madeleine Colani (1866 - 1943), who discovered, studied, and named this civilisation between 1926 and 1931.


Street QH7 in Quynh Lam ward of Hoa Binh city has the honour to be named after M. Colani, who gave the Hoa Binh Civilisation its name.

The Hoa Binh Civilisation existed in not only Vietnam but also across Southeast Asia. Hoa Binh province is home to the biggest number of relic sites dating back to this civilisation. As those sites own the most typical features of the civilisation, international scientists agreed to name it Hoa Binh.

M. Colani was a geologist, palaeontologist, and archaeologist who made substantial contributions to the formation and development of archaeology in Vietnam and Indochina as a whole. Aside from the Hoa Binh Civilisation, she was also linked with the discovery of the Bac Son, Ha Long, and Sa Huynh civilisations and the Plain of Jars in Indochina during the French colonial rule.

From 1926 to 1932, through surveys and investigations in limestone mountainous areas in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Quanh Binh, Colani discovered and excavated 54 relic sites of the Hoa Binh Civilisation in northern Vietnam, most of which were located in Hoa Binh. Findings indicated a Stone Age civilisation that existed before the previously found Bac Son Civilisation.

In the study "Decouverte du Paléolithique dans la province de Hoa Binh” (Discovery of the Palaeolithic in the province of Hoa Binh) published on the anthropology journal in 1927, she mentioned the term "Hoa Binh Civilisation” for the first time and pointed out its basic characteristics and three development phases from the late Old Stone Age to the New Stone Age.

At the first conference on prehistoric studies of the Far East held in Hanoi in January 1932, Colani presented sufficient evidence testifying to the existence of an ancient civilisation different from the already known prehistoric civilisations in the world. Her proposal to name this civilisation Hoa Binh was also approved.

As 2022 marks the 90th year since the world’s recognition of the Hoa Binh Civilisation, at the start of this year, the provincial People’s Committee issued Plan No 50/KH-UBND on the organisation of cultural, sports and tourism events to celebrate this anniversary.

Notably, the provincial People’s Council released Resolution No 177/NQ-HDND on August 29 to name Street QH7 in Quynh Lam ward of Hoa Binh city after the archaeologist. This is one of the most beautiful streets in the vicinity of Hoa Binh Square. The street nameplate is scheduled to be unveiled on the 90th anniversary of the Hoa Binh Civilisation recognition./.

 


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