Ancient calendar unearthed in Tuyen Quang

VNA/VOV ^ | September 26, 2012 | TAG

[SunkenCiv]

Archaeologists have found a stone tool assumed to be an early calendar dating back 4,000 years in a cave in the northern province of Tuyen Quang.

According to Prof. Trinh Nang Chung from the Vietnam Archaeology Institute, the stone tool, with 23 parallel carved lines, seemed to be a counting instrument involving the lunar calendar.

A similar tool was found in Na Cooc Cave in the northern province of Thai Nguyen's Phu Luong District in 1985, Chung said.

Similar items have been found in various areas in the world, including China, Israel and the UK, suggesting that people 5,000 years ago knew how to calculate the lunar calendar by carving on stones.

The stone tool was discovered in a tomb marked with 14 large stones laid at a length of 1.6m. Bones were uncovered under the stones but no skull was found, with Prof. Chung guessing that the skull may have decayed due to the humidity in the cave. A number of other stone tools were buried with the corpse, he added.

The excavation was conducted on a total area of 20 sq. m inside Nguom Hau Cave in Na Hang District, unearthing about 400 objects to a depth of 1.2m belonging to two cultural layers of the Late Neolithic period (4,000-4,200 years ago) and the Metal Age (around 3,000-3,500 years ago)...

There was also a large amount of animal teeth and shells found at the site, thought to be the remnants of food left by the ancient dwellers. Scientists also found traces of burned coal and fire in both layers...

Earlier excavations in the same province have found traces of human populations dating back to 7,000-8,000 years ago.

[SunkenCiv]

Tuyen Quang Province

[Jim Hill]

Does it also claim December 21, 2012 as the end of time?

[bigheadfred]

suggesting that people 5,000 years ago knew how to calculate the lunar calendar by carving on stones.

[SunkenCiv]

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[JimSEA]

Some linguistic studies have put the orign of the Tai languages in these valleys rather than in Taiwan. The archaeological record seems to support that.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks JimSEA.

[Wordkraft]

And they noted an inscription on the calendar saying, “Tuesday - pick up dry cleaning and some egg rolls.”

[Verginius Rufus]

Another part of the inscription shows that they were playing baseball:

"...thai base go to honorable runner..."