TTLV: Archaeological site of Con Co Ngua (Thanh Hoa)

MASTER'S THESIS INFORMATION

1. Student's full name: Pham Thanh Son

2. Gender: Male

3. Date of birth: 09/09/1984

4. Place of birth: Hong Phong commune, Ninh Giang district, Hai Duong province

5. Student recognition decision No. 1528/QD-XHNV-KH&SĐH dated October 14, 2009 of the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

6. Changes in the training process:

On December 20, 2011, I received the decision on the recognition of the topic and the supervisor for the graduate student, No. 1666/QD-SDH from the President of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi. However, due to objective difficulties, I then submitted a request to the Board of Directors, the Department of Postgraduate Training, Faculty of History, to change the topic and supervisor in September 2013.

7. Thesis topic: Archaeological site of Con Co Ngua (Thanh Hoa)

8. Major: Archaeology; Code: 60 22 03 17

9. Scientific advisor: Dr. Trinh Hoang Hiep, Metal Age Research Department, Institute of Archaeology, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

10. Summary of thesis results:

The thesis is the first work to systematize all the sources of information about the Con Co Ngua site. And this is also the first time that research and analysis of lithology and pottery are done scientifically and systematically.

The thesis also provides rich materials on anthropology, geomorphology, paleoclimate, and environment.

The thesis has contributed to clarifying important aspects of pottery and stoneware manufacturing techniques in Con Co Ngua. These are the key issues when studying Con Co Ngua and also have the most fundamental significance when studying Da But culture.

11. Practical application:

The thesis will be a reliable source of information for domestic and foreign researchers interested in a cultural period in a pivotal context when studying prehistoric Neolithic cultures after Hoabinhian culture in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, South China.

12. Further research directions:

In the future, the author of the thesis will try to conduct broader research to clarify some of the issues mentioned in the thesis including:

- What is the post-Da But problem after the existence of this culture ends?

- What was the role of Hoa Binh culture in the formation of Neolithic centers in Northern Vietnam?

13. Published works related to the thesis:

INFORMATION ON MASTER'S THESIS

1. Full name: Pham Thanh Son 2. Sex: Male

3. Date of birth: 09/09/1984 4. Place of birth: Hong Phong, Ninh Giang, Hai Duong

5. Admission decision number: 1528/QD-XHNV-KH&SĐH Dated October 14, 2009 from Headmaster of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University.

6. Changes in academic process:

On December 20, 2011, I received the admission decision about the title of my thesis, and advisor I was granted the decision numberof1666/QD-SĐH by theHeadmaster of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University. However, because of objective reasons, I have submitted another application to the Head of Faculty of the History Department, Division of Postgraduate Studies to allow me to change my thesis title and advisor.This was done in September, 2013.

7. Official thesis title: Con Co Ngua site (Thanh Hoa)

8. Major: Archeology 9. Code: 60 22 03 17

10. Supervisors: Dr. Trinh Hoang Hiep, Head of the Department for Metal Age Archeology, The Institute of Archeology, Hanoi, Vietnam

11. Summary of the relevance of this thesis:

This thesis will be the first such study to provide a comprehensive summary of all available information about the Con Con Ngua site. It will also be the first research project to analysepetrographic aspects of the clay used to create Leather But pottery using systematic and up to date scientific techniques. The research presented in this thesis should help to clarify fundamental questions related to the manufacturing techniques used to make ceramics and stone tools by the Con Co Ngua population; information applicable to understanding any Skin But Period assemblage from across northern Vietnam.Finally, this thesis will also present and summarize diverse data relevant to anthropology, geomorphology, and palaeoecology.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

It is hoped that this thesis will become an important new resource for both Vietnamese and international archaeological scholars who wish to study the post-Hoa Binh pre-agricultural Neolithic period in Vietnam (exemplified by sites such as Con Co Ngua). The results of new research on this time period in Vietnam also have relevance to comparative studies of the Neolithic Period in South East Asia and Southern China.

13. Further research directions, if any:

Going forward, I will focus my research on the resolution of two specific questions relevant to Da But archeology: 1. When did the Da But Period end, and how do later Da But sites and assemblages differ from earlier ones? 2. What role did the Hoabinhian culture play in the formation of the numerous smaller, yet archaeologically distinct, cultures of the pre-agricultural Neolithic in northern Vietnam?

14. Thesis-related publications: