Son La Archaeology – A Distinctive Cultural Landscape

Việt Nam•08/08/2023

In Son La province, numerous archaeological sites have been discovered along the banks of the former Da River. Initial surveys and excavations of these sites, along with the dating of ancient artifacts, have partially proven the existence and development of ancient inhabitants from the Stone Age to later periods. Archaeology in Son La still holds many mysteries about its ancient history that require further research, understanding, and clarification.

The collection of bronze drums at the Son La Provincial Museum.
Photo: Thanh Dao

Currently, Son La province has 11 archaeological sites that have been officially recognized, classified, and documented according to regulations of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Among them, notable sites include the Ban Mon Rock Shelter in Thom Mon commune, Thuan Chau district, discovered in 1927, considered a natural "house" of prehistoric people, which has been explored, excavated, and unearthed thousands of artifacts dating from 1,000 to 6,000 years. Co Noong Cave in It Ong town, Muong La district, located on the banks of the Da River, was excavated in 1997 and yielded many artifacts dating from the late Neolithic period. Many other natural caves have also been explored, showing initial evidence of ancient inhabitants, such as Tham Puoc Cave in Bac Yen; Tang Me and Pong caves in Van Ho; and Hua Bo cave in Muong La. Tham Mu cave in Mai Son; Tang cave in Phu Yen; Lan Le cave in Quynh Nhai...

Over 11,000 archaeological artifacts have been discovered and brought to the provincial museum's storage facility for display and preservation. These artifacts, dated from the Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Ages, encompass a wide variety of forms, including pebbles, chipped stones, pottery fragments, arrowheads, weapons, containers, bronze drums, bronze jewelry, and burial sites containing relatively intact remains. This is vivid evidence of the continuous development of ancient inhabitants throughout history, from the prehistoric era to the beginning of the Metal Age civilization in Son La province.

Experts from the Vietnam Archaeological Society study and process ancient artifacts after excavation.
Photo: Thanh Dao

Ms. Ngo Thi Hai Yen, Director of the Provincial Museum, said: The Provincial Museum currently preserves and safeguards many archaeological artifacts of great cultural and historical value. Among them are precious artifacts dating from the Pre- and Early History periods, especially the collection of 34 bronze drums found at archaeological sites along the Da River in Son La. These are invaluable legacies that the Provincial Museum manages, preserves, and displays some relatively intact artifacts to serve the needs of visitors and researchers.

In the construction of the Hoa Binh and Son La hydroelectric power plants, the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology, in coordination with Son La province, conducted surveys, explorations, and excavations of archaeological sites in the two reservoir areas. More than 50 years ago, 24 archaeological sites were discovered in three districts (Moc Chau, Yen Chau, and Phu Yen) in the Hoa Binh hydroelectric reservoir area. Exploration and excavation yielded thousands of artifacts. Scientists have re-surveyed these sites, systematized all archaeological data, and outlined the historical and cultural development of the communities from approximately 30,000 to 3,000 years ago. In the Son La hydroelectric reservoir area, 15 sites were discovered in three districts (Quynh Nhai, Thuan Chau, and Muong La), with over 6,000 artifacts excavated. Providing vivid documentation for the Cultural Heritage Exhibition of the Son La Hydropower Reservoir Area (Muong La District), showcasing the unique historical and cultural traditions of the four ethnic groups in the Son La hydropower reservoir area. From 2015 to the present, the Provincial Museum has completed two research projects on promoting the cultural heritage of the Pre- and Early History periods in the Son La and Hoa Binh hydropower reservoir areas (within the province). The results of these two projects not only provide specialized archaeological research but also assess the historical, cultural, and tourism resource values and propose directions for the preservation and promotion of archaeological heritage in the current period.

Archaeological experts are conducting surveys and excavations at the Tang Cave site in Phu Yen district.
Photo: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Lan Cuong

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Lan Cuong, from the Vietnam Archaeological Association, shared: "From relics and sites, especially burial caves, we conduct direct surveys, excavations, and searches for ancient artifacts to determine their age. In particular, we examine the remains of prehistoric humans that have been found to identify the inhabitants of different ancient cultural periods. From this, we can see that Son La still preserves quite intact many traces of the continuous development of ancient inhabitants from the Old Stone Age, through the New Stone Age to the Bronze Age, forming the later Metal Age civilization."

The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Son La province has been actively coordinating with experts from the Institute of Archaeology and the Vietnam Archaeological Association to conduct surveys, excavations, assessments, and complete scientific documentation for a number of ancient relics, sites, and artifacts. This provides valuable source material for compiling local history and geography, exploiting valuable artifacts for display at the provincial museum, and especially further affirming the development of prehistoric culture in Son La within the context of the nation's ancient past.

Thanh Dao

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