Xom Trai Cave is the most typical archaeological site of Hoa Binh Culture in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The relic was ranked at the national level in 2001. The relic has been known to archaeological researchers quite early. Since its discovery until now, there have been nine investigations, explorations, and excavations at the relic (the first was in 1975 and the ninth was in 2022).

Cultural layer at Xom Trai Cave during excavations in 2022

Located at an altitude of nearly 20m above the valley surface, Xom Trai Cave has an equally wide door and bottom, forming a quite beautiful arc. The cave is bright and airy, light can penetrate to the bottom of the cave. Five meters from the cave entrance, there is a block of limestone in the middle that could fall from above. The cave floor slopes gently from the entrance to the bottom. Most of the cave floor is intact. In front of the cave entrance is a fairly wide and flat valley, at the foot of the mountain, there is a stream flowing through. In the stream bed, pebbles and stones can be found, which are an endless source of raw materials for primitive people to make tools.

It can be affirmed that Hang Xom Trai is a typical archaeological site of Hoa Binh Culture in Hoa Binh land. This is both a permanent residence and a workshop for making tools of Hoa Binh Culture residents. Up to now, this is the Hoa Binh Cultural relic with the richest set of relics of stone tools as well as bone tools among the Hoa Binh Cultural relics that we have excavated. Through research, the overall stone artifacts here show that the technique of making stone tools is quite skillful. The presence of a large number of large-sized tools has enriched the Hoa Binh Cultural relics set and is good material to learn about the types of tools and the economic activities of the culture. The discovery of rice grains and rice husks in the cultural layer of Xom Trai cave may be a physical evidence of early rice agriculture in Hoa Binh Culture.

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Excavation at Xom Trai Cave relic, Lac Son district - One of the

typical relic of "Hoa Binh Culture" in Hoa Binh province

With a rich numbers of artifacts and a dense cultural layers, it has been proven that Trai hamlet land in particular and Hoa Binh land in general were very rich and favorable for the residence and living of primitive people. Currently, the Trai village cave relic has been renovated and embellished to serve the organization of welcoming visitors for tourism and research on Hoa Binh culture. Trai hamlet cave relic is located in the center of Muong Vang region. Coming to the cave relic site, tourists will have the opportunity to visit and learn about the Muong ethnic cultural space and the wonderful natural scenery of the Muong Vang valley, one of the four major ancient Muong areas of Hoa Binh province.