Vietnam’s Middle and Late Neolithic marine cultures

Abstract

This article presents the basic content of the prehistoric marine cultures in Vietnam in the Middle Neolithic including Cai Beo culture, Trang An relic complex, Da But culture, and Quynh Van culture as well as Late Neolithic marine cultures including Ha Long, Hoa Loc, Bau Tro, and Xom Con. This study clarifies human adaptation to changes in the ecological environment in each region, the cultural achievements of inhabitant groups in these localities, and the position of communities in the coastal plains during the formulation and development of Vietnam’s prehistoric marine culture. Today, Vietnam’s marine region has been under the influence of rising sea levels. Rising sea levels would lead to the disappearance of archaeological sites as it did in late Pleistocene. Evidently, prehistoric sites of the marine cultures of Vietnam have played a particularly important role in the socio-economic development of Vietnam, which needs to be studied, protected, and brought into play.