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.

The 6th Conference on Preliminary Report on Excavation Results of Nguom Rock Shelter Site.

Thai Nguyen Provincial Museum and the Institute of Archaeology jointly organized the 6th excavation of Nguom Stone Shelter Site on an area of 8m2. After more than a month of implementation (from May 20 to July 5, 2025), the excavation work has been basically completed in accordance with Decision No. 86/2008/QD-BVHTTDL, Decision No. 1326/QD-BVHTTDL of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the proposed plan. The excavation work was carried out carefully, in compliance with the procedures in archaeological excavation activities.

The 2025 excavation results continue to reinforce some of the stratigraphic observations from the 2024 excavation, while also adding some very new insights into stratigraphic structure that were not recorded in previous excavations.

Specifically, in the most recent excavation in 2024, only about 6 to 7 cultural layers were identified depending on the location, but in this excavation, archaeologists encountered cultural layers 7, 8, 9, 10 and possibly up to layer 12. There is additional evidence to confirm the behavior of searching for and consuming plant seeds for the first time recorded in our country at a site dating back over 124,500 years ago.

Existing documents are sufficient to conclude that Nguom is also the place where the earliest evidence of fire use is recorded in Vietnam and the entire Southeast Asia region.

Delegates listened to the report on the results at the 6th excavation pit of Nguom Rock Roof Archaeological Site.

Delegates listened to the report on the results at the 6th excavation pit of Nguom Rock Roof Archaeological Site.

In the initial assessment, experts concluded that the archaeological excavation of Nguom Rock Shelter was very successful. Based on the available sources, scientists believe that there is enough basis to affirm that Nguom Rock Shelter is the first relic that can help understand the transition from the middle to the late Paleolithic period, not only in Vietnam but also on a regional scale.

At the same time, it is necessary to continue to study both the depth of the stratigraphy and the width of the space carefully and systematically. The results of the 6th excavation have contributed to a solid foundation for the Nguom Rock Shelter Site in Thai Nguyen province to soon 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/