More important archaeological discoveries at Nguom Rock Shelter Site

On the morning of July 25 at the People's Committee of Than Sa commune, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thai Nguyen and the Institute of Archaeology jointly organized a conference to report on the preliminary results of the 6th excavation of Nguom Rock Roof Site.

Conference to report on the preliminary results of the 6th excavation of the Ngườm rock shelter site.

The Thai Nguyen Provincial Museum and the Institute of Archaeology jointly organized the 6th excavation of the Nguom Rock Shelter site, covering an area of ​​8 square meters. After more than a month of work (from May 20th to July 5th, 2025), the excavation work has been basically completed in accordance with Decision No. 86/2008/QD-BVHTTDL and Decision No. 1326/QD-BVHTTDL of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the set plan. The excavation was conducted cautiously and in compliance with the procedures for archaeological excavation.

The results of the 2025 excavation further reinforce some stratigraphic insights from the 2024 excavation, while also adding some very new understandings of the stratigraphic structure that had not been recorded in previous excavations.

Specifically, while the most recent excavation in 2024 only identified about 6 to 7 cultural layers depending on the location, this latest excavation has uncovered cultural layers 7, 8, 9, 10, and possibly up to 12. This provides further evidence to confirm the first recorded instance of searching for and consuming plant seeds in our country, at an site dating back over 124,500 years ago.

The available documents provide sufficient grounds to conclude that Ngườm is also the site with the earliest recorded evidence of fire use in Vietnam and the entire Southeast Asian region.

Delegates listened to a report on the results of the sixth excavation at the Ngườm Rock Shelter archaeological site.

Delegates listened to a report on the results of the sixth excavation at the Ngườm Rock Shelter archaeological site.

Preliminary assessments by experts indicate that the archaeological excavation at the Ngườm Rock Shelter site has been highly successful. Based on the available documentation, scientists believe there is sufficient evidence to confirm that the Ngườm Rock Shelter is the first site that can help understand the transition from the Middle to the Late Paleolithic period, not only in Vietnam but also regionally.

At the same time, further research is needed in terms of both stratigraphic depth and spatial breadth, conducted carefully and systematically. The results of the 6th excavation have provided a solid foundation for the Ngườm Rock Shelter site in Thái Nguyên province to be recognized as a special national monument.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202507/them-phat-hien-khao-co-quan-trongtai-di-chi-mai-da-nguom-d465f5d/