Long ago, people lived in the Pù Chùa Cave in the northern province of Tuyên Quang.

It is divided into natural rooms and also has light coming into it, making it good enough for people to have lived in.

Scientists have found pieces of their old tools and their old pottery.

However, they still have lots more to find out.

HÀ NỘI — Scientists have found various traces of early people living 4,000 years ago in some caves in the northern province of Tuyên Quang.

Researcher Trình Năng Chung from the Việt Nam Archaeology Institute said most of the traces were found in Pù Chùa Cave, Cuống Village, Minh Quang Commune in Chiêm Hóa District.

“The cave is located at the height of 50m from the foot of a karst plateau mountain,” he said. “The floor of the cave is fairly smooth and measures 100sq.m. The cave is divided into many rooms separated by stalactites.

 “Most of the cave receives natural light, which makes it suitable for humans to live in. Around 200m to the southeast of the cave is a big stream.

“Traces of early human were found mainly at the entrance of the gate,” he continued. “The layer of objects found is rather thin, only 0.4m in thickness with stone and ceramic objects.”

Stone objects include dozens of well-polished axes. Scientists hold that most of ceramic wares here were made with potter’s wheels though some broken ceramic pieces show signs of having been made by hand. Ceramic wares were decorated with ancient patterns like twists and water waves.

Scientists came to the conclusion that Pù Chùa Cave was home to people of the Holocene period, around 4,000 years ago.

“This is the first time traces of residents of this era have been found in Tuyên Quang Province,” Chung said.

Ngần and Khỉ caves in Phúc Sơn Commune have been quickly examined and will not be excavated yet. However, scientists found here dozens of stone working tools.

“In a corner of the cave, we found sediments of broken snail shells and teeth of animals,” he said. “The cave might have hosted people of the Stone Age, even earlier era than Pù Chùa cave.”

“From the results, we concluded that Chiêm Hóa District is a land with archaeology potential,” he said.

Concerned agencies are now planning to further excavate Pù Chùa Cave and examine all the karst plateau mountains in the district in a few months’ time. — VNS

GLOSSARY

Researcher Trình Năng Chung from the Việt Nam Archaeology Institute said most of the traces were found in Pù Chùa Cave, Cuống Village, Minh Quang Commune in Chiêm Hóa District.

Archaeology is the study of ancient human history by examining clues left behind from long ago.

Traces are signs left behind by something you are trying to find more about.

“The cave is located at the height of 50m from the foot of a karst plateau mountain,” he said.

A plateau is a flat area that is above surrounding countryside.

A karst plateau is one of rock called limestone that has been shaped by erosion, over the years.

The foot of a mountain is the bottom of the mountain, from where the landscape starts to rise.

The cave is divided into many rooms separated by stalactites.

Stalactites are formations that develop from the roofs of caves, caused by the minerals in dripping water.

“The layer of objects found is rather thin, of only 0.4m in thickness with stone and ceramic objects.”

Objects are things.

Ceramic means pottery.

Stone objects include dozens of well-polished axes.

Dozens are multiples of twelve. However, the word simply means “many”.

Ceramic wares were decorated with ancient patterns like twists and water waves.

Wares, in this case, means pieces of pottery.

Scientists came to the conclusion that Pù Chùa Cave was home to people of the Holocene period, around 4,000 years ago.

A conclusion is a decision, reached by some reasoning and research.

“This is the first time traces of residents of this era have been found in Tuyên Quang Province,” Chung said.

An era is a period of time.

Ngần and Khỉ caves in Phúc Sơn Commune have been quickly examined and will not be excavated yet.

Excavated means taken out of the ground.

“In a corner of the cave, we found sediments of broken snail shells and teeth of animals,” he said.

Sediments are little pieces of things that have been left behind.

“From the results, we concluded that Chiêm Hóa District is a land with archaeology potential,” he said.

Potential means possibility.

Concerned agencies are now planning to further excavate Pù Chùa Cave and examine all the karst plateau mountains in the district in a few months’ time.

Concerned means worried.

WORKSHEET

State whether the following sentences are true, or false:

1. Pieces of broken animal teeth were found in a corner of the cave.
2. The Holocene period was more than 3,000 years ago.
3. Around 200m to the southwest of the cave is a big stream.
4. The cave is on the top of a plateau at the top of a mountain.
5. Stone axes found at the cave were not well polished.

ANSWERS: 1. True; 2. True; 3. False; 4. False; 5. False.