(HBO) - On December 20, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism held a conference to announce the preliminary results of archaeological excavations of the two national-level relics, the stone roof of Vanh village in Yen Phu commune and the cave in Trai village in Tan Lap commune (Lac Son). There was attendance of the leaders from the Institute of Archeology, the Center of Prehistory of Southeast Asia, the People's Committee of Lac Son district and the People's Committee of Tan Lap and Yen Phu communes.
Dr. Nguyen Viet, the Director of the Southeast Asian Prehistory Center reported the results of archaeological excavations of the 2 national relics in Trai village and the stone roof of Vanh village (Lac Son).
Implementing Decision No. 1052, dated on May 6, 2022 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on archaeological excavations, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Provincial Museum have collaborated with the Institute of Archeology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Southeast Asian Prehistory Center to excavate the relics at the national-level relic of the stone roof of Vanh village in Vanh hamlet, Yen Phu commune and the national archaeological site of Trai village in Tan Lap commune (Lac Son). Up to now, the archaeological excavation of the 2 national relics has been completed. The excavation results are a new source of material, contributing to enriching the content of Hoa Binh Culture, making the practical contributions to the work of celebrating the 90th anniversary of its establishment, researching Hoa Binh Culture in Vietnam, honoring the value of cultural heritage, showing gratitude to the French archaeologist, Madeilen Colani, and many generations of the prehistoric researchers, the cultural managers at home and abroad.
The national archaeological relic, the stone roof of Vanh village, the excavation period is from May 15 to October 15, 2022, excavating 4 exploration pits and 1 excavation pit with an area of 39 m2. They have discovered the trace of some fire stoves, the clusters of animal bones and clusters of boulders that may be related to prehistoric people's place for tool-making or food-processing in the stone roof of Vanh village; They did not detect the traces of relics in the pits outside the cave. In the excavation and exploration pits, a large number of relics have been obtained, mainly the stone, bone, pottery and molluscs items; There are 7 more absolute dates for the stone roof relic of Vanh village, after having the results of the correction of the tree ring, it will have the earliest absolute age in this relic up to 25 million years ago from today.
The national archaeological relic in Trai hamlet with excavation period from May 15 to October 15, 2022, excavated 4 pits with a total area of 37 m2. The excavation of the remains of the cultural layer in the village of Trai in the pits H2 and H3, determining the disturbance, the extent of the remaining intact; excavating pits H1 and TS1 outside the adjacent Trai hamlet; obtaining a group of fire stove relics, the millet stone blocks/the blocks used for making stone tools, bones and they are most likely related to the prehistoric man's food processing activities; collecting a large number of samples for the analysis of the absolute dating, petrology, spores and pollen...; collecting a large number of relics, mainly stone, bone and little pottery; there is 1 more absolute date for the cave in Trai village.
At the conference, the delegates proposed and recommended a number of issues such as continuing to carry out research and excavation by micro-document method in order to take samples for analysis of new absolute dating for 2 archaeological sites; developing the registration dossiers for the special national heritage ranking for the 2 relics.
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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