Lower Palaeolithic Industry of An Khe in Prehistoric Context of Vietnam and Region

Abstract

This paper systematically presents material from the investigations into, and excavations of, the Lower Palaeolithic sites of An Khe, Gia Lai Province, in central Vietnam. It defines the basic characteristics of the An Khe industry with its technical tools: choppers and chopping tools, trihedral picks, and bifaces - handaxes. Among them, the choppers are mainly from Asia, bifaces - handaxes appear in the western sites, while trihedral tools are characteristic of the Lower Palaeolithic period of An Khe, Vietnam. The An Khe industry is different from, and older than, the other Lower Palaeolithic industries currently identified in Vietnam, such as Nui Do (Thanh Hoa Province) and Xuan Loc (Dong Nai Province). It also differs from the typical European Acheulean industry. However, it has many similarities with the Baise industry in Guangxi, China, in terms of material, size, type and tool making technique. The An Khe industry may date back 782,000 ± 20,000 BP to 806,000 ± 22,000 BP. Its discovery has provided a lot of new material, leading to changes in the view on the oldest cultural and historical period of mankind in general and Vietnam in particular.