Vietnamese archaeologists announce their findings of their excavation and and conservation project at the Xom Trai Cave in Hoa Binh province. Among the finds include the 8,000-year-old road reported earlier, as well as numerous stone tools and human burials. There’s an interesting mention about a find of mineral rock that was used as nutritional supplements – does anyone have more information about this? How do they know that ancient peoples ingested rocks for nutritional supplements?
Hoa Binh archaeological site preservation project announced
Nhan Dan, 12 March 2009
Many ancient artifacts excavated in Hoa Binh’s Xom Trai cave
Voice of Vietnam News, 13 March 2009
Archaeologists from the Hoa Binh Museum and the Southeast Asia Prehisory Centre have found more than 4,000 ancient artifacts of stone and bone at the Xom Trai archaeological site in Tan Lap commune, Lac Son district in northern Hoa Binh province since 2001.
At a press briefing in Lac Son district on March 11, scientists said Xom Trai Cave, recognised as a national archaeological site in 2001, is believed to be a tool workshop as well as a habitat for people of the Hoa Binh civilisation.
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Researchers also found two kinds of mineral rock used by prehistoric people as nutrition supplements.
Re: rocks as nutritional supplements- maybe they have evidence in coprolites?
ah… that would make sense. just wished they published more info on it though!