LATE NEOLITHIC/EARLY METAL AGE SITES IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS (TAY NGUYEN) OF VIETNAM

To date, Vietnamese archaeologists have identified 60 archaeological sites in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, an area known as Tay Nguyen. These prehistoric sites date from the Late Neolithic through to the Early Metal Period. This paper describes some of the cultural materials recovered during recent excavations of several Tay Nguyen sites, and the insights they provide into the interaction that took place in this strategic part of Vietnam in the prehistoric period. THE TAY NGUYEN PLATEAU Tay Nguyen is a large plateau, in the central part of southern Vietnam, that covers an area of 65,000 sq. km, equivalent to the provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dac Lac and Lam Dong. The plateau is characterized by valleys and plains with mountain ranges surrounding them. To the north, the plains are bordered by Quang Nam Province; to the south by eastern Nam Bo; to the west by Laos and Cambodia; and to the east by the coastal plains of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Hoa. The distance from east to west across the plateau is 150 km, and from north to south more than 450 km. To date, more than 60 archaeological sites have been identified on the Tay Nguyen Plateau (Figure 1). Research began in the 19th century when two French priests (Fr. Pierey and Fr. Guerlach) discovered some stone axes and adzes while proselytizing in the area. The French linguist, La Font, also recovered a few artefacts i