Post date: 28/10/2014

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QUANG BINH IN THE PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD

QUANG BINH IN THE PRE-HISTORIC PERIOD

Located in the northern part of Central region of Vietnam, Quang Binh has a strategically important location. It borders Ha Tinh province on the north, with the Annamite mountain range extending from the west on the east, borders Quang Tri province on the south, Khammouan province of Laos to the west with a borderline of 201,87km, and the Eastern Sea on the east with a coastline of 116,04 km. This land experienced many ups and downs in the history; it was the venue of numerous population communities and also embedded with much influences of several civilizations.

According to the result of researches by geologists, Quang Binh has a long history of cultures of thousands of years, with vestiges of long-standing human settlements of the pre-historic people from the Mesolithic of 10,000 years ago. Before 1945, foreign and domestic archaeologists found many archaeological vestiges in the area of Quang Binh.

In 1926, a French archaeologist discovered and excavated numerous archaeological remains in caves in the west of Quang Binh, belonging to Tuyen Hoa district. This has proven the existence of the archaeological culture named “Hoa Binh” in this limestone area. Owners of Hoa Binh culture in Quang Binh in the pre-historic period lived in caves and rock shelters. They often resided in high and dry caves and rock shelters, which received much natural light and were located near water sources for settlement; their main food was snails. Living in the caves in the upstream area of Quang Binh, based on the tide falling level, the ancient people went along the river bank where soil was fertile to migrate to the coastal lowland, exploiting swamps for cultivation, conquering the nature and establishing residential villages. Archaeologists found archaeological sites in the riverine villages: Con Nen archaeological site located 200m far from the northern bank of Gianh River, Le Ky archaeological site located close to a ancient river which was filled up. All archaeological remains were swept away in the water flow to crystallize in Bau Tro civilization. This is very important archaeological site with the age of around 5,000 years. Bau Tro culture is typical for the Neolithic Age in the coastal area of Central Vietnam. Bau Tro was discovered in 1923. Since then, the excavations and researches of Bau Tro have been conducted, opening up prospects for the research of Quang Binh in the pre-historic period and Quang Binh pre-historic people, as well as the pre-Dong Son and pre-Sa Huynh; the co-relation of the cultures of the two regions through Bau Tro culture. It was said that Bau Tro culture is one of the origins generating Dong Son culture in the North Vietnam and Sa Huynh culture in the South Vietnam. If the owners of Hoa Binh culture in the west of Quang Binh province created a mountainous culture in the upland then Bau Tro people created a coastal culture in the lowland.

The great achievements of Quang Binh people in the pre-historical period was that they made production tools by silic stone mixed with clay - a type of silex - the best ever material used to make production tools in the Neolithic culture in Vietnam. On the other hand, they were also the owners of the earliest color pottery culture of the country. This fact has proved that the local communities of Quang Binh province in the pre-historic period from the Hoa Binh culture to Bau Tro culture always has a distinct feature - a distinct feature of an area often affected by the wind blown from Laos, of a diligent, pain-taking and enduring people which was established about 10,000 years ago. It was also the origin generating a unique feature: Quang Binh culture in the typical feature of Vietnam culture.

Source: Quang Binh Website