­SƠN VI CULTURE

This hunter-gatherer culture originated in the Sơn Vi region of Phú Thọ province, where archaeologists discovered the first artifacts in 1968. 

Their remains, which date from the Upper Palaeolithic era (16,000-9,000 BCE), are usually found in the open air, rather than in caves. In the Hanoi area, they have been uncovered on the hills of Ba Vì and Cổ Loa districts. 

In 1972 pebble tools were discovered in 4 municipalities of Ba Vì district; 7 more were found in 2010. These artifacts are choppers, all shaped by stone percussion on one side, with the other side left in their natural state. These were the main tools of this stone-cutting culture. They were used for hunting and cutting plants, and to crack seeds and scrape the skins of animals.