Paleolithic Vestiges in the Krông Nô River Basin, Đắk Nông Province

Abstract

Since the announcement of Paleolithic relics and artifacts in An Khê in 2014, a series of Paleolithic traces have been uncovered in Gia Lai Province and parts of Đắk Lắk Province. These traces are all located within the ancient Ba River basin. This suggests the potential for discovering Paleolithic vestiges in other localities across the Central Highlands, while also raising questions about the existence of Paleolithic substrata beyond the Ba River basin in this region. Between 2022 and 2024, based on findings by geologists, the Institute of Social Sciences in the Central Highlands took the lead in carrying out scientific projects involving investigations, surveys, verifications, and archaeological excavations. As a result, 10 Paleolithic sites were discovered in the Krông Nô River basin, Đắk Nông Province, including one site excavated at Hamlet 7 (KrN1). The surveys and excavations confirmed the existence of the Paleolithic Age in the Krông Nô River basin, within a relative chronological framework of approximately 70,000 to 11,000 years BP. This article details the survey results, characteristics, and dating of the Paleolithic period in the Krông Nô River basin, Đắk Nông Province.