Archaeologists discovered a female face carved on a cliff in Tuyen Quang province, estimated to be 3,000-3,500 years old.
The discovery was announced by Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Nang Chung, Vietnam Archaeological Association, at the 2023 archaeological discovery announcement conference on the morning of November 3 in Ha Nam.
Mr. Chung said he accidentally discovered the human face on the entrance of Phong cave in Thuong Am commune, Son Duong district, Tuyen Quang province in 2013 while excavating in the cave. The carving is about 1.5 m higher than the cave floor, within reach of an adult. The carving is covered with moss on the outside, making it difficult to detect if you don't look closely.
Phong Cave is called the ghost cave by the local ethnic people and is not allowed to be approached. Although it was discovered 10 years ago, Mr. Chung said that it had to be thoroughly researched before it was announced.
A woman's face on a cliff in Tuyen Quang. Photo: Trinh Nang Chung
The oval face is quite symmetrical, 11.2 cm wide and 14 cm long. The eyes are created by two elliptical concave holes, without eyebrows. The nose is an elongated isosceles trapezoid, small at the top and large at the bottom. The mouth is a concave hole extending horizontally. The eyes, nose, and mouth are created in harmonious and balanced proportions.
Regarding the carving technique, Associate Professor Dr. Chung said that the human face has a U-shaped cross-section groove, a curved bottom, 0.7-0.8 cm wide, 0.4-0.5 cm deep. The ancients may have chiseled with a metal tip, or a sharp chisel made of hard stone with the support of a hammer.
"The human face is created in a realistic, feminine style with an oval face and big eyes. The owner of the carving has shown his ability to observe, expressing a fairly balanced and perfect human facial proportion, and also showing his ingenuity with airy carvings and soft depths," Mr. Chung added.
Associate Professor, Dr. Trinh Nang Chung presented his findings at the conference. Photo: Gia Chinh
Regarding the age, archaeologists have determined that through the form of metal processing and artifacts inside the cave, it belongs to the Go Mun culture period, so it can be determined that it is about 3,000-3,500 years old. Previously, most of the artifacts from the Go Mun culture period were statues or carvings of animals such as dogs and chickens.
Speaking more about this discovery, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Khac Su, Institute of Archaeology, said that he had discovered a sculpture in Tru Cave in Phu Yen District, Son La Province similar to the one in Phong Cave. "I think the earliest date of this type of stone carving is around 2,000 years old," he said.
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