Abstract

The beauty spot complex of Tràng An, Ninh Bình is an excellent representative among global outstanding karstic tower landscapes, not only containing superlative natural phenomena or exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance, but also representing an outstanding example of traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use, which is representative of human interaction with the environment from late Pleistocene to now.

Apart from 3 sites excavated by archaeologists of the University of Cambridge from 2007 to 2011, namely Trống cave, Bói cave and Mòi cave, from April 2012 to now, Vietnamese archaeologists have undertaken investigations and found 22 new cave sites; 6 of which have been excavated, namely Thung Bình 1 cave, Vàng rock shelter, Mòi cave, Ốc rock shelter and Ông Hay rock shelter, Áng Nồi cave and 6 other sites have been tested, namely Chợ rock shelter and Núi Tướng 1 cave, Thung Bình 2 cave, Thung Bình 3, Thung Bình 4 and Trâu cave. The test excavations and excavations are all within the World heritage nomination documents compilation project for the Tràng An Beauty Spot Complex led by the People’s Committee of Ninh Bình.

This paper aims to publish the preliminary results from archaeological test, excavation and research in Tràng An, as well as define the spatial distribution, the time duration and outstanding cultural - historical values of these sites in a wider context.