Skeletal remains dating back 10,000 years have been unearthed in Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, representing a groundbreaking discovery as the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian country.

Mai Thanh Chung, director of the Ha Nam Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a meeting on Thursday that the remains were discovered during an excavation carried out by the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology at the Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District in March.

Archaeologists unearthed three graves containing both children and adults, all interred in a kneeling position.

Human remains found in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

“This marks the first discovery of human remains dating back 10,000 years in Vietnam,” noted Chung.

In the excavation site, alongside the human remains, researchers also uncovered mollusk shells and the teeth of small animals, which likely served as sources of food for the ancient inhabitants.

An archaeologist from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

The stone tools found in this excavation site are not particularly large. 

Their type and technical characteristics indicate that they are attributable to the Hoa Binh culture, which is dated 15,000 years ago, extending to 2,000 years BC in northern Vietnam.

The excavation site in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

During the March excavation at two caves in Kim Bang, the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology also made significant discoveries of prehistoric paleontological remains and material artifacts. 

These findings included animal fossils and fragments of reddish-brown rope pottery, which can be attributed to the Dong Son culture, which thrived in ancient Vietnam’s Red River valley, located in the country’s northern region, from 1000 BC to the first century AD.

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

Within the Tam Chuc complex, archaeologists also came across sea mollusk shells and stream snails. 

At the summit of the mountain within the complex, pottery shards were found alongside pieces of mollusks.

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

The relics discovered in Kim Bang District can be traced back to a wide time span, ranging from the late Pleistocene to the late Holocene era, approximately 10,000 to 12,000 years ago, according to the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology.

Based on these findings, researchers have concluded that this district was once a favorable and inhabited area for ancient residents.

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

An archaeologist from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

Archaeologists from the Vietnam Institute of Archaeology during an excavation in Tam Chuc Pagoda Complex in Kim Bang District of Ha Nam Province, northern Vietnam, March 2023. Photo: Vietnam Institute of Archaeology

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