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Nearly 20 years ago, Dr. Nguyen Van Viet, Director of the Centre for Prehistoric Southeast Asian Studies, discovered worn movement vestiges in the south of the entrance of the Trai hamlet cave in Tan Lap commune of Lac Son district. At that time, those vestiges, dating back 8,000 - 9,000 years, were 60 - 70cm underground and almost intact.
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Dr.
Nguyen Van Viet, Director of the Centre for Prehistoric Southeast Asian
Studies, talks to the media about new discoveries of the Hoa Binh Civilisation
at the Trai hamlet cave.
Trai hamlet is located in the former Muong Vang
area, which is now the communes of Quy Hoa, Tan Lap, and Nhan Nghia. The Trai
hamlet cave is situated in a vast valley where wet rice is cultivated and
limestone mountains surround.
Notably, many vestiges of primitive humans have
been found here. In 1980, during a fact-finding trip to prepare for map
drawing, a geological team discovered many traces of the primitive civilisation
at the cave and collected 108 stone objects and some animal bone pieces.
The elderly residing in the centre of the Muong
Vang area said Trai hamlet used to be a thick forest where primitive humans
survived on foraging nuts and hunting wild animals.
Six deep and large worn vestiges were discovered
in the Hoa Binh Civilisation layer. Compared to previously found vestiges, they
were more worn, indicating that this cave used to be a living place of
primitive humans.
Inside the Trai hamlet cave, apart from stone,
bone, horn and ceramic objects, archaeologists also collected a relatively
large number of mollusc shell and plant traces. The rice grains and husks
discovered in the Hoa Binh Civilisation layer there could be material evidence
of the early-stage wet rice cultivation during the civilisation.
In particular, scientists also found a grave in
a stratum dating back more than 17,000 years, along with some stoves. At
present, archaeologists haven’t been able to completely decode all the
mysteries kept at the Trai hamlet cave.
In late 2014, Viet, one of the founders of a
club of friends of those loving the Hoa Binh civilisation, called for donations
from the philanthropists wishing to preserve national heritage to help address
rockslides and repair a pagoda damaged by fallen rocks with the hope that this
place will become one of the destinations for people interested in this civilisation.
Coming here, visitors can learn more about the
life of primitive humans of the Hoa Binh civilisation. They can also gain an
insight into the culture of the Muong ethnic group and enjoy the beautiful
landscape of the Muong Vang valley, one of the four large Muong ethnic areas in
Hoa Binh province.
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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