Field archaeological research in North Vietnam in 2023

This article analyzes archaeological evidence of the Hoa Binh stone industry from the Phung Quyen rockshelter with lithological layers containing artifacts and paleontological finds, and discusses morphological features of the stone objects and accompanying anthropological evidence. The toolkit (sumatralites, stone axes) and funeral rite were typical of the Hoa Binh period. The results of micromorphological and stratigraphic research combined with absolute dating indicate the appearance of the Hoa Binh culture in North Vietnam earlier than 23 kyr BP. Active use of the Phung Quyen rockshelter by the ancient human groups in some periods of the Pleistocene and Holocene is also confirmed by a stable set of species manifested by the faunal complexes of the site. The Paleolithic of Vietnam has a large number of Pleistocene sites, but the lack of reliable geochronology hampers the reconstruction of dynamics in the development of ancient human populations forcing scholars to rely only on traditional methods, such as typology of artifacts and analysis of species offauna andflora, which are severely limited due to specific aspects of natural environment and sedimentation in the region. The study of the Phung Quyen deposits provides an opportunity to address important issues related to the presence of the Pleistocene hominins in North Vietnam. A complex stratigraphic sequence, despite extensive physical and chemical deformations, makes it possible to fully study this evidence by advanced geoarchaeological methods. Evolutionary development of the Hoa Binh stone industry in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene in North Vietnam was autochthonous.