Diem Cave: A Stratified Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Site in Northern Vietnam

This study presents the findings of excavations at Diem Cave, a Late Paleolithic site in Vietnam. Several lithological units and cultural layers are identified. Archaeological materials, including stone and bone artifacts, are described in detail. Findings from the three lower layers include sumatraliths, axes, bone tools, and ornaments. All of these, as well as features of the funerary rite, are typical of the Hoabinhian period. Human bones in the earliest burial were found in anatomical order, whereas those in other burials were crushed and charred. The authors demonstrate that the three lower layers date to the Pleistocene and belong to the Hoabinhian stage, whereas the upper layer dates to the Holocene and belongs to the Da But culture. Micromorphological and stratigraphic observations suggest that the sedimentation of two of the Hoabinhian layers occurred under a humid climate, whereas one Hoabinhian layer attests to a more arid environment. Judging by the absolute dates, the Hoabinhian period appeared in Northern Vietnam before 23 ka BP. During certain stages of the Pleistocene, human populations in the region were rather numerous.