Late Neolithic relics and artifacts in Lang Son

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Historically, the Late Neolithic period was a crucial transition from the Stone Age to the Bronze and Iron Ages – a stage leading to the first nation-building period of the Vietnamese people. Lang Son bears the imprint of this developmental stage with many rich and unique relics and artifacts, the pinnacle of which is the Mai Pha Culture (approximately 4,000-3,000 years ago).

Mai Pha Culture Jewelry

Archival documents indicate that, from the early years of the 20th century, French geologists and archaeologists searched for, discovered, and excavated many archaeological sites within the Bac Son limestone mountain range. Based on the research results of Henri Mansuy and Madeleine Colani, the Bac Son culture was established with 43 sites, dating to the Early Neolithic period (approximately 11,000 - 6,000 years ago). Notably, scattered at some sites such as Tham Khoach (Binh Gia commune), Dong Thuoc (Cai Kinh commune)... characteristic artifacts of the Late Neolithic period have been found on the surface of caves or in the upper layer of the Bac Son cultural stratum, such as: axes with shoulders, quadrilateral axes made of polished stone; stone rings and beads; Crude pottery fragments, bone chisels and awls, terracotta fishing weights… The presence of Late Neolithic cultural elements (approximately 5000-3000 years ago) in the Bac Son cultural sites profoundly reflects the historical development process through many periods. At some sites such as Ba Xa cave (Tan Doan commune), six quadrilateral axes, one axe with a shoulder, two chisels, two bracelets, one stone earring; one terracotta spindle whorl, eight seashells with hollowed-out backs, 40 fish vertebrae, and one shell ring were found. In Lung Yem cave (Tan Doan commune) and Ban Hau (Yen Phuc commune), crude pottery fragments and seashells with hollowed-out backs were also found. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Hoang Xuan Chinh (former Deputy Director of the Institute of Archaeology), archaeologists have classified these sites as belonging to the Late Neolithic period.

Many years later, during research and surveys in Lang Son province, the Institute of Archaeology (now part of the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences ) discovered many more sites with traces or artifacts characteristic of the Late Neolithic period, such as Me Bac (Bang Mac commune), Lang Nac (Nhan Ly commune), Bo Lam (Bang Mac commune), Hang Doi (Vu Le commune)... In the years 1996-1998, archaeological research and surveys in Lang Son were intensified with in-depth cooperation between the Provincial Museum and the Institute of Archaeology. This led to the discovery of many more Late Neolithic sites right in the distribution area of ​​the Bac Son Culture. Some Late Neolithic sites were re-surveyed or excavated, and some sites were excavated in 1998, such as Phia Diem and Phai Ve (Dong Kinh ward), to search for artifacts and determine cultural characteristics. In addition, information from the people and research and survey programs of the Provincial Museum have also discovered many relics containing Late Neolithic elements such as: Ngườm Sâu (Bằng Mạc commune), Thẩm Đán Lài, Tu Lầm (Bình Trung commune)... Through these discoveries, hundreds of valuable archaeological artifacts have been collected, supplementing the local cultural heritage, such as: quadrilateral axes, axes with shoulders, earrings, stone beads, terracotta fishing weights, coarse pottery fragments… Particularly noteworthy are the rare large stone shovels originating from Guangxi (China), a very unique and distinctive artifact found only in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam, resulting from the interaction between ancient inhabitants. In his research on the Mai Pha Culture (2000), Dr. Nguyễn Cường (former director of the Provincial Museum, Vietnam National History Museum) classified 32 archaeological sites in Lạng Sơn into the Late Neolithic period.

In particular, the results of the Mai Pha site excavation (May 1996) and extensive surveys conducted in districts and towns throughout the province have further established the Mai Pha Culture, distributed in Lang Son, belonging to the Late Neolithic – Early Metal Age. According to archaeologists, the characteristic features of Mai Pha culture tools are the combination of axes and quadrilateral adzes, polished to a smooth finish, of medium and small size, with many similarities to Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age tools in the Northern Midlands and Delta. In addition, there are axes with shoulders made of stone and soft drink bottle caps. Mai Pha culture tools are also very rich and diverse, including quadrilateral stone chisels, concave chisels, and polished bone awls… The development of stone crafting techniques in Mai Pha Culture is also shown through the group of jewelry made of various materials. These artifacts demonstrate a high and sophisticated level of stone, pottery, bone, and mollusk crafting. Simultaneously, it contributes to affirming the origins and providing evidence of the continued development of the Mai Pha Culture from the Bac Son Culture. In 2000, Dr. Nguyen Cuong classified 12 Late Neolithic sites in Lang Son into the Mai Pha Culture. Currently, four of these sites have been recognized as National Heritage sites: Mai Pha, Phai Ve, Phia Diem (Dong Kinh ward), and Lang Nac (Nhan Ly commune). The Mai Pha Culture is mentioned in the history of Vietnamese archaeology as one of the distinctive and representative cultures of our country in the Late Neolithic period, possessing both the general characteristics of the Late Neolithic Culture of the northern mountainous region of Vietnam and the unique characteristics of the Lang Son area.

The Late Neolithic relics and artifacts in Lang Son are testaments to the long history of human development in this northern border region of the Fatherland. Their presence provided a solid foundation for the development of the Bronze Age civilization and the first period of nation-building. They also represent a very proud aspect of the traditional culture of Lang Son.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/di-tich-di-vat-hau-ky-da-moi-o-lang-son-5089069.html