Hua Phu (Tham)

DREYBRODT JOERG informations

Frédéric Urien - 23/06/2024

History: - "Remains of stone tools excavated at Tham Hua Pu Cave suggest that the region of Luang Prabang has been inhabited since 8000 BC [5242] - The cave is mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide as being at Ban Thin Hong, without giving a name. The excavation has yielded artifacts dating back 8,000 years, including stone, bronze and metal tools, pottery, skeletons and fabric (Cummings 2002). Robert (1997) states that the cave, here spelled Tam Hua Pu, is remarkable for the fact that it remained in use, either as a dwelling for hunter gatherers or in later times as a burial site, for at least 7,000 years (from 8,000 BC to at least the seventh century BC). Bronze and iron objects have been found there, as well as beads which indicate that the region had trade links with India. The National Museum in Vientiane contains two show cases dedicated to the archaeological finds of this cave. On display are animal teeth, shells, grinding stones, blades, polished adzes, pottery shards and an iron clamp. The site is dated to the Iron Age. The excavations were done by a Lao team in the 1990s (source: information text in the show cases). Nitta (2003) mentions a cave site near Luang Prabang excavated by Mr. Thongsa Sayavongkhamdy in 1994, which most probably refers to Tham Hua Phu. The internet site of the University of Pennsylvania Museum (undated) has a picture of Tham Hua Phou from February 2001, mentioning stone age tools. It mentions excavations by Mr. Bounheuang Bouasisengpaseuth, Deputy Director of the Lao National Museum [5158] Explo history: - 22-29.12.1974 archaeological investigations by Watanabe [6253] - Jan 1975 visited by D. Phoumsouvanh & H. Watanabe (Lao-Japanese Archaeological team) [6339] - 1994-95 excavated by Sayavongkhamdy, T. [6339] - ???? excavations by Mr. Bounheuang Bouasisengpaseuth, Deputy Director of the Lao National Museum -31.01.2005 explored and estimated to 50 m by H. Brand & H. Steiner /German Lao Speleological Project 2003/2004 [5158] Cave description: Citation: Analysis: [5158]: The entrance is divided by a stal column, leaving an entrance 2m wide and about 3m high, with a ”window” on the other side. The entrance leads into a level hall, with an archaeological trench right behind the entrance, and a second trench in the middle of the hall. At the end is a second room 8 m high with a skylight and some large stal formations. Subsequently another small chamber and two consecutive rooms with low ceilings are reached. Right behind the entrance is a crawlway which begins a few meters from the main portal. Branches wedged in the entrance window and long poles in the main and end-chamber indicate that there has been some harvesting of bats in the cave >> survey >> shown in map [6253]: The entrance is narrow as 2m, but the interieur is wide, consisting of three chambers. The first chamber, which is directly connected with the entrance, is domerlike and measures 10x12m. The second or smallest chamber is a side branch of the cave system leading to a small hole opening at a distance of several meters from the entrance. It is a dark tunnel-like cavity with a narrow hole ca. 2-3m in width. The third or largest chamber is behind the first one. The border between the first and the third is constricted by cave walls projecting from both sides to form a narrow passsage of 3-4m in width so that the third chamber is dark. The floors of chamber I and III were connected with each other and inclined with a small gradient towards the entrance.. There were sdome piles of stonees on the border between the chambers and at the entrance, which are said to have been constructed during the war time. [6339]: short descript [6919]: These data indicate that northern Laos was occupied from the terminal Pleistocene onwards, with clear evidence for occupation by users of Hoabinhian lithic technology. The dates from TVTL fit within the date range from Tam Hua Pu, and are slightly older than early Holocene dates reported from Phon Savan on the Plain of Jars, and Lao Pako (Sayavongkhamdy et al. 2000). They compare well with dates of Hoabinhian-related material from similar latitudes in northern Thailand (Treerayapiwat 2005) and Vietnam (Yi et al. 2008), and suggest that sites in Lao PDR can provide important comparative material for better-known areas of mainland Southeast Asia. In addition, the basic agreement of the three TVTL dates with each other, all coming from features in the same general stratigraphic position but in two trenches, suggests that the site contains sequential, undisturbed or well-stratified early materials, which is not necessarily the case in other Hoabinhian cave sequences. [8997]: Two caves have been found in the Northern Luang Prabang region of Laos which exhibit some evidence of habitation. These sites, Tam Hua Pu and Tam Nang An, show only evidence of Hoabinhian habitation that was later disturbed by Neolithic burials (Sayavongkhamdy 2000). [9004]: Remains of stone tools excavated at Tham Hua Pu Cave suggest that the region of Luang Prabang has been inhabited since 8000 BC, while bronze pieces and cord-marked pottery exist as evidence of habitation of the region during the second millennium BC. A variety of beads has been found that indicates the area had trade links with India, probably dating from 500 BC. (White & Bouasisengpaseuth 2008): This evidence included the Hoabinhian cave site Tam Hua Pu (Sayavongkhamdy et al., 2000) (fig. 3), pic caption: Fig. 3: Tham Hua Pu is a cave site with Hoabinhian remains on the right side of the Mekong Basin in Luang Prabang Province. It was excavated in the 1990s and visited by RAAS in 2001.... three prehistoric cave/rockshelter sites on the right bank watershed of the Mekong were excavated in 1994-1995 (Sayavongkhamdy et al., 2000). Tam Hua Pu, previously identified by Anzai (1976) as a promising stone age site based on surface artifacts, comprised a Hoabinhian deposit into which iron age burials were interred. (Lewis et al. 2015): Ceramic jars in caves are known from the local region, including buried in pits (e.g. Tham Nang An, possibly Tham Hua Pu – Sayavongkhamdy and Bellwood 2000), but there have been a very limited number of recent cave excavations focused on later prehistoric archaeology. Equipment: Remarks:Although there is nothing spectacular about the cave itself, it is nonetheless a nice little cave in a beautiful setting. The cave is easy to navigate and easy to reach. With some information on the archaeological findings, perhaps in the form of a signboard with artifact photos, it would be a perfect stop for a boat journey to the Pak Ou Caves. (Dreybrodt & Laumanns 2005) [5158] --prehistoric site, see Tham Hua Phu.doc References: [4928]: Sylavong, L., Tsechalicha, X. & Watling, D. 2000: Louang Prabang Province environmental inventory. Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction, Lao PDR & IUCN - the World Conservation Union. 78 pp. [5158]: Dreybrodt, J. & Laumanns, M. (eds.) 2005: The unknown North of Laos (Karst and Caves of the Provinces Luang Phrabang and Luang Nam Tha). Berliner Höhlenkundliche Berichte 16. 105 pp & Annex. [5241]: Abhaya Asian Antiques 2005?: Neolitic stone tools from Laos. URL: www.fareastasianart.com/stores/abhayaasianart/item… [5242]: Anon. undat.: Introduction to Luang Prabang. A Special and Fragile Place. URL: www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/culture/Im… [6253]: Watanabe, H., Shigematsu, K. & Anzai, M. 1985: Archaeological survey of prehistoric cave sites in Laos. - Bulletin of the Department of Archaeology 41: 31-54. [6339]: Sayavongkhamdy, T. & Bellwood, P. 2000: Recent archaeological research in Laos. - Indo-Pacific Prehistory Association Bulletin 19 (Melaka Papers, Volume 3), 101-110. [6919]: Joyce C. White, J.C., Lewis, H., Bouasisengpaseuth, B., Marwick, B. & Arrell, K. 2009: Archaeological investigations in northern Laos: new contributions to Southeast Asian prehistory. - Antiquity 83 (319). URL: www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/white/ [8997]: Schmidt, C. 2009: Laos: Megaliths of Xieng Khouang Province. - Research Paper, unpublished. [9004]: UNESCO 2004: IMPACT: The Effects of Tourism on Culture and the Environment in Asia and the Pacific:Tourism and Heritage Site Management in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR. - Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific, UNESCO Bangkok & School of Travel Industry Management University of Hawai‘i, USA.. - White, J.C.; Bouasisengpaseuth, B. 2008: Archaeology of the Middle Mekong: Introduction to the Luang Prabang Province Exploratory Survey. Pp. 36–52 in: Y. Goudineau & M. Lorrillard (Eds.): Recherches nouvelles sur le Laos - New research on Laos. Études thématiques 18. Vientiane-Paris: École française d’Extrême-Orient - Lewis, H.; White, J.; Bouasisengpaseuth, B. 2015: A buried jar site and its destruction: Tham An Mah cave, Luang Prabang province, Lao PDR. Pp. 72-82 & 94-97 in: N.H. Tan (Ed.): Advancing Southeast Asian archaeology 2013: selected papers from the First SEAMEO SPAFA International Conference on Southeast Asian Archaeology, Chonburi, Thailand 2013. SEAMEO SPAFA. Bangkok