ABSTRACT
In this chapter, three Vietnamese archaeologists outline the main stages of cultural development from the mid-Holocene to the Han invasions of the early centuries of the Christian Era. The Bacsonian is named after Bac Son district in Lang Son Province, where initial excavations were undertaken early in the twentieth century by the French geologist, Henri Mansuy, in Tham Khoach Cave near Binh Gia town. The late Neolithic phase in Vietnam incorporates the Ha Giang, Mai Pha and Ha Long cultures in the north; the Bau Tro, Bien Ho, Buon Triet and Lung Leng cultures in the central zone and western plateaux; and some locations in southeastern Vietnam. Hoa Loc sites are rich in pottery artefacts with many unusual forms such as bracelets and earrings, ceramic stamps with beautifully incised geometric designs, and pottery boxes with two compartments.
