BẮC KẠN — Archaeologists from the Việt Nam Archaeology Institute and Bắc Kạn Provincial Museum have unearthed ancient artefacts on karst mountains in Ba Bể District, the northern province of Bắc Kạn.

Scientists work at the site. Photos Courtesy of Trình Năng Chung

At Puông Cave, inside Ba Bể National Park, they found nearly 100 stone and bone objects indicating traces of early people.

Two ancient cookers have been discovered at the excavation site but no tomb has been found as expected.

Some objects were made from small stones taken from the beds of streams and rivers, which share significant similarities with tools from the Hòa Bình civilisation (12,000-10,000BC). These include oval tools and short axes.

Objects unearthed at the site.

Remnants of bones of pigs, monkeys, hedgehogs and deer as well as shells of oysters and snails and some nuts have been found, which archaeologists believe are remnants of food left by early people.

Archaeologists also found a rectangular stone with three round holes four centimetres apart. They have not determined its function.

According to Prof Trình Năng Chung, head of the excavation team, the site belonged to New Stone Age Hòa Bình Civilisation residents, dating back some 8,000 to 9,000 years.

More research will be conducted at Puông Cave in the next few months, he said. — VNS