8,000-year-old prehistoric settlement discovered in Bac Kan

A team of experts from the Vietnam Archaeological Association and the Bac Kan Provincial Museum began searching for archaeological traces in more than 20 caves in Quang Khe and Dong Phuc communes in mid-July. After a month, the team discovered four sites with traces of prehistoric people.

The first is Kem Liem cave in Cho Leng village, Quang Khe commune, 280 m2 wide, about 80 m higher than Ta Leng stream at the foot of the mountain. The survey team dug a 3 m2 hole in the middle of the cave, 1.5 m from the eastern wall. The result was the discovery of a 0.7 m thick cultural layer lying right on the bedrock. On the surface, 154 artifacts were found, in the hole, 49 stone artifacts were found.

The stone samples have similarities in type and simple chipping technique. The tools are mainly used for rough chopping, hand axes, stone flakes, flakes, grinding tables, grinding pestles and an axe sketch with chipping marks to create a waist for tying ropes.

The presence of grinding tables, pestles, traces of fire, animal bones and teeth, and un-fossilized snails are the remains of prehistoric food, proving the method of food processing by hunting and gathering. "This is a residential relic of prehistoric people from the early stage of the Neolithic period about 7,000-8,000 years ago," said a representative of the archaeological team.

Also in Quang Khe commune, the survey team discovered Khuoi Duong cave, 60 m higher than the foot of the mountain, with an area of ​​30 m2, divided into two compartments with traces of habitation of residents from the late Neolithic period dating back about 4,000 years.

The cave contained 26 chiseled stone tools, 14 pieces of crude pottery with rough incised and corded patterns. In addition, the local people provided the survey team with a smooth-bodied quadrangular axe made of fine-grained stone found at the foot of the mountain.

In Dong Phuc commune, on Phja Puc mountain range, Lung Minh village, the survey team discovered two archaeological sites in Dan Deng 1 and Dan Deng 2 caves. These two sites are located close to each other, at an altitude of about 15 m above the foot of the mountain.

Right on the surface, the survey team discovered 44 chiseled stone tools and many snail shells with their tails cut off in Dang Den Cave 1. Dang Den Cave 2 found 10 artifacts.

The survey team assessed that the artifacts in these two caves were similar to those discovered in Kem Lien cave in both type and manufacturing technique, so it was predicted that this was the residential area of ​​the early Neolithic period residents dating back 7,000-8,000 years.

Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Nang Chung, head of the survey team, assessed the discoveries as having great historical, cultural and scientific value, contributing to enriching the awareness of prehistoric culture in Bac Kan in particular and in Vietnam in general.

"Due to its proximity to Ba Be National Park, the above relic system needs to be preserved and its value promoted, considering them as economic tourism potential, returning to the source in the local economic development plan," Associate Professor Chung added.

Currently, specialized agencies have planned to conduct more comprehensive research on the relics, including the excavation of Kem Liem cave.