(HBO) – Through many excavations of caves and dweling places of prehistoric humans in Hoa Binh province, Dr. Nguyen Viet, Director of the Centre for Prehistoric Southeast Asian Studies, has made many discoveries of the Hoa Binh Civilisation, proving that it was much older and diverse than what have been known so far.
Dr. Nguyen Viet, Director of the Centre for
Prehistoric Southeast Asian Studies, has made many discoveries of the Hoa Binh
Civilisation.
The Hoa Binh Civilisation was discovered by
French archaeologist Madeleine Colani in 1925. She perceived that it was a
Stone Age civilisation dating back to the Holocen epoch, about 10,000 years
ago.
In 1981, a snail shell sample found in an
excavation of Trai Hamlet Cave in Tan Lap commune (Lac Son district) by the
Institute of Archaeology was sent to Berlin for examination, and the result was
astonishing: the sample was 18,400 years old plus/minus 200 years. At that
time, Dr. Chester Gorman visited Vietnam and suggested Dr. Nguyen Viet sieve
objects unearthed at Trai Hamlet Cave. As a result, hundreds of withered and
burned seeds, another hundreds of animal bone pieces, and more than 200 stone
tools dating back over 17,000 years were collected.
Findings in the sixth dig at the Trai Hamlet
Cave and the second at the Vanh Village stone shelter, carried out in 2022,
revealed that the period of 22,000 years ago was not the earliest stage of the
Hoa Binh Civilisation.
Dr. Nguyen Viet, Director of the Centre for
Prehistoric Southeast Asian Studies, said aside the new discoveries about the
age of the Hoa Binh Civilisation, researchers have also found a surprisingly
high density of artefacts at the Trai Hamlet Cave and the Vanh Village stone
shelter.
He noted there may be few places in the world
where hunters and gatherers left so many vestiges dating back to the late
Pleistocen and early Holocen epochs in. There are up to 44,000 snail shells
found at the Trai Hamlet Cave, compared to the 9,000 shells at Con Moong Cave
in Thanh Hoa province and 11,000 at Sung Sam Cave in Hanoi. The number of snail
shells discovered at the Vanh Village stone shelter is equal to that at the
Trai Hamlet Cave. Meanwhile, the number of bone pieces is about 500 per cubic
metre of deposits. Stone tools at the two relic sites number more than 70 and
300 per cubic metres of deposits, respectively.
At Trai Hamlet Cave, there are thousands of
slabs weighing 5-10kg each used as tables for preparing food and making tools.
Hundreds of tools with sharpened blades have also been found at Trai Hamlet
Cave and the Vanh Village stone shelter, and the oldest of them is about 17,000
years old, Viet went on.
One of the important discoveries at Trai Hamlet
Cave is evidence of primitive humans’ artistic mindset. Researchers unearthed
two rocks with unusual shapes in 1982 and many more in 2004, including a thin
one with zigzag and fishbone diagrams inscribed on it. In 2008, some other
rocks with similar zigzag lines were found. One of the objects collected in
2004 dates back 17,000 years ago. They represent the first artworks by humans
in Vietnam, according to the archaeologist./.
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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