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14C-datings from Lung leng site

The results of 25 archaeological samples analised by 14C-dating might be divided into 5-staged groups with interval and geo-archaeological characteristics as follows: - Stage 1 (9 samples): with dates 3)510+110BP - 3,110+80BP (calibrated dates: 1,320BP-430BP), lasting 820 years. - Stage 2 (8 samples): with dates 2,860+105BP - 2,310+60BP (calibrated dates: 1 ,320BP - 430BP), lasting 890 years. - Stage 3 (4 samples): with dates 2,150BC - 1,890BC (calibrated dates: 380BP -AD130), lasting 510 years. - Stage 4 (1 sample): with dates 880 + 50BP (calibrated dates: AD1060 AD1,270). - Stage 5 (3 samples): with dates 350+90BP - 120+ 70BP (calibrated dates: AD1,405 - AD1,270), lasting 390 years. Between every stage is an interrupting gap, demonstrating that mound "mai rua" (tortois shell shape) Lung Leng belongs to flood-formed type, appearing around late Pleistocene. The formation and existence process of Lung Leng was affected by 2 dominant factors: weathring together with sweeping away and accumulation with sediment caused by nature and human beings. The existence of ancient inhabitants at Lung Leng lasted about 2,000 BP to l0 AD centuries.

Characteristics of ceramics distribution at Lung Leng site

The total quantity of the potsherds collected from Lung Leng cultural layers in the 2001 excavation is 920,509. Through the statistic tables of the density and the percentage of the potsherds over 1m2, the percentage between their quantity and the distribution density, the percentage of the potsherds in every excavated layer, every trench all over the site, as well as the drawings of potsherd distribution in the plan and the trenches help us have some remarks about the distribution characteristics of the potsherds at Lung Leng site. - The ceramics at Lung Leng have high density (136.63 potsherds over 1m2) though, and they are unevenly distributed in the excavated trenches, concentrating on the trenches adjoining each other near the site centre, the further the centre, the fewer they are. - The ceramics density in the cultural layers seem to mainly depend on the characteristics and inhabitation time rather than the more or less appearance of the burials, though most of the burials contain ceramic coffins and accompanied ceramics. - As far as the cross-section is concerned, the potsherds focus much in the 3rd and 4th layers. In terms of ceramics percentage groups, from the 1 st layer t9 the 5th layer all contain 8 groups, which mean the ceramics at Lung Leng seem to be intermixedly distributed.

Ground tools with agricultural economy

Studying ground tools in aspects of typology, functions, scale, manufacturing industry, ... is an approach to the prehistorical argricutural economy in an ancient village in Lung Leng. The 2001 excavation resulted in 12,947 stone tools, including: 50.72% hand-made tools, 42.7% hoes, buffalo tooth-shaped tools, axes/adzes... and the group of pestles and grinding stones. A large number of the small grinding stones together with the traditional ones not only reflect tool manufacture as the main and most important trend of stone manufacture industry at Lung Leng, but also show that part of the grinding stones were important tools of the techniques for making ancient ceramics there. The agricultural characteristics are basic for the Lung Leng stone, ground tools. They include buffalo tooth-shaped hoes and adzes, stone tools with slanting edge, stone spearheads main made of phtanite stones; a few of them were made of silex, opal stones that didn't exist on site. Most of the above mentioned tools were used, some were broken, the rest were worn out and retouched on the edges and reused. These general analyses of various types of such axes/adzes in relationship to the ceramics data, especially the dominance of the buffalo tooth-shaped hoes and adzes in production and spiritual life through burial data lead to the assumption that the Lung Leng ancient inhabitants, the dwellers along the river side, possessed the agricultural economy, using hoes to do the farming on kaingin and they might have grown rice. From Iron Age, Lung Leng might be considered to be a model of the prehistorical villages in North Tay Nguyen in general and the agricultural economy at Lung Leng in particular.

Lung Leng burials

Through the two excavations at Lung Leng site (1999 and 2001), 229 burials, of which there are 24 graves and 205 ceramic coffins. They were unevenly distributed, concentrating in clusters. Stratigraphically, the burials focus in the layers 3, 4 and 5; the top and the bottom layers include unremarkable burials. There is only 4% of them appeared in laterite layer, but 90% of them ended in it. The Lung Leng burials almost have stones for marking and were located in the settlement area. They are classified into 2 types: The ceramic coffins (jars of various sizes and jars and pots in mouth-to-mouth) and the graves without coffins (with potsherds scattered or without 2 kinds: round or long burying pits). The ones without coffins appeared earlier than the ones with ceramic coffins. In general, the Lung Leng burials existed for about 2,000 years, from 2,100BC to AD100. The accompanied funeral goods include stones, ceramics, glass, iron objects and vegetation. Their quantities, materials and functions are various, expressing their different funeral customs as well as reflecting the career and status of the burial owners.

Lung Leng holes with dark contents and fire places

In Lung Leng excavation, artifacts, burials and vegetation, dark contents and 81 fire places. The holes with dark contents are unevenly distributed, concentrating on the north-western and south-western corners and in the east direction of the site. Stratigraphically, the dark-content holes of the early and late cultural layers are similar. Their distribution and composition seem to show some relationships between them and living shelters, fire places or burial shelters of the Lung Leng inhabitants. The fire places are also unevenly distributed. In the earlier stage, only 19 fire places are found, concentrating into 2 clusters in the north-western direction of the site. The late stage includes 60 fire places in 3 clusters: in the north-west, south-west and the east directions of the site. In terms of scale and structure, the Lung Leng fires are less than 1m2 in size and chiefly uncompleted. This suggests family size and the temporary life and temporary fires of part of Lung Leng inhabitants. However, at Lung Leng also found large-scale fires, with complete composition, which suggest an existence of large families with multi-generations or the communitive fires (collective) .

Lung Leng iron-refining kilns

At Lung Leng found 18 iron-refining kilns, 10 iron artifacts, 447 iron rusty clots, 44 iron-ore clots, 6,531 terra-cotta clods and many other items related to iron refining. The kilns are unevenly distributed, highly concentrated on the north-western site, with the majority in the 2nd and 3rd layers. The kiln areas are varied from 2 m2 to 8 m2. The kilns were in half-and-half status (half of the kiln on the ground, the other half underground), made of sand-clay mixture, in semi-spherical shape, having 2 entrances, without domes. Iron are was arranged in the centre to the thickness of about 7 cm 10 cm. The top and the bottom were arranged with charcoal to the thickness of about 7 cm-l0 cm. Each time, about 7 dm3 are were refined. The total quantity of refined iron is estimated to 95 kg - 140kg at Lung Leng site. The firing temperature was from 110oC to 1250oC. Additionally, some of the kilns were multi-functionally used to mell copper are and the temperature was taken full advantage to dry ceramics, too. Some were used again and again for many times. Lung Leng iron are was lematite, with high content of iron (72%), which was carefully selected. The refining effects reached to 28%. The Lung Leng workers used on-site are, and additionally tempered with slag stuff- the special progress and also the know-how in metallurgical techniques of Lung Leng ancient inhabitants.

Lung Leng jewellery

There are 268 samples of jewellery and other stone artifacts as jewellery found from Lung Leng. They include bracelets, ear rings beads, beads, wasted articles and sketched bracelets, quartz crystals and other ornaments. In terms of materials and typology, each type was chosen in accordance with its own function and the manufacturing technique. Schiste stones were chosen to make bracelets mainly with triangular cross-section; schiste and opal stones were selected to make earrings with such various shapes as tube, oval, round and flat; opal was used to make tube beads and colorful glass stones to manufacture chains. Apart, from that, broken quartz crystals in 6-sided shape with one pointed end were used as ornaments. Additionally, Lung Leng bracelets with large size might be relevant to power symbol or offerings or accompanied funeral goods. The ancient Lung Leng inhabitants used their high level techniques for chopping, drilling, sawing and grinding to make ornaments that were very diversified in forms, rich in styles. and colors. Despite the evidence of manufacturing some types on site, Lung Leng was not a place to manufacture jewellery. This is a general fact at Lung Leng that needs further and larger studies.

Lung Leng site in Kon Tum prehistory

Lung leng site, initial perception

The excavation at Lung Leng site were carried out by the Institute of Archaeology and the Information - Culture Bureau of Kon Tum through 2 stages: excavation (2001) and classification and study (2003-2005). The excavation results show that Lung Leng is a workshop-burial site with 2 layers: Late Pleistocene laterite and Holocene silt. The found vestiges include pillar holes, fire places, kilns for metallurgy, burials, rice husk remains, fruit skins and elephant teeth. The collected artifacts are abundant and diversified, including stone tools, ceramics, iron objects... The study results enable us to be initially aware of Lung Leng site: 1. Lung Leng site has a large scale, favorable location, thick cultural layers, large quantity of diversified and well-preserved artifacts. These have proved the existence of a large, long-standing village, which became a nuclear center for the surrounding areas; 2. It is possible to identify Lung Leng site as a workshop-burial site, of which the features of settlement and burial are very clear; 3. The Lung Leng inhabitants developed through stages (Late aleolithic, Late Neolithic, and Early Metal Age), which lasted from Pleistocene to Holocene. In Holocene, the cultural layers just existed for about 2,000BP to the 10th AD century; 4. The Prehistorical Lung Leng inhabitants had an open contact with other ancient inhabitant groups in Vietnam and Southeast Asia; 5. Lung Leng is a special archaeological site, which has the source of rich and diversified historical artifacts, and together with other synchronic sites in Kon Turn to set up an archaeological culture: Lung Leng culture.

Sporoplasma and pollen at Lung Leng

In combination with the archaeological data, the analysis results of sporoplasm and pollen show that in about 40,000 BP - 10,000 BP, Lung Leng had typical tropical weather with monsoon, rather dry and cold. The soil was much weathered, the cultural remains of organic matters were decayed, only stone tools left. After 10,000 BP, especially 4,000 BP, the weather in Lung Leng was similar to today weather, with vegetation was similar to the modern counterpart in Tay Nguyen. However, in this period there were changed of environment, vegetation typical for the hot and humid tropic weather.

Stone tools with chopped or ground edge from Lung Leng site

The 2001 excavation at Lung Leng site resulted in 544 chopped stone tools, mainly concentrating on laterite layer, the upper layer (Holocene) is not remarkable. The examination of these chopped tools shows that: they were made from 7 different types of stone, mainly including quart and quartzite. Typologically, it is possible to classify into 3 groups: - Group I: With ground-edged axes, short axes, axe-shaped tools with two chopped faces. This group belongs to Vietnamese Neolithic; - Group II: With pebble-flaked tools, core-shaped tools, chopped adzes from Vietnamese Neolithic and Paleolithic; - Group III: With pointed tools, tools with edge along the length or width, tools with slanting edge, quarter-pebble tools, bi-edged tools. They are typical for Late Paleolithic at Lung Leng site. As compared to their counterparts from Lang Vac site (Nghe An), Ban Pho site (Son La), Doi Thong site (Ha Giang), Lam Dong, Phu Tho, ..., they are more similar to the typical tool collection of the Son Vi culture from Phu Tho.