
The event was jointly held by the provincialDepartment of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Institute of Archaeology, andthe Vietnam Archaeological Association (VNAA).
Participants evaluated the outstanding values ofthe cave and its surrounding areas based on excavation and research results,and exchanged experience in the building of such dossier.
Associate Professor Dr. Dang Van Bai, Vice Chairmanof the National Cultural Heritage Council, suggested Thanh Hoa pay moreattention to consulting experts from the International Council on Monuments andSites (ICOMOS) in this regard.
In his closing remarks, VNAA Chairman Assoc. Prof.Tong Trung Tin said participants shared the view that the cave can satisfy selectioncriteria regarding cultural tradition, traditional human settlement, andnatural habitat.
Con Moong Cave was first excavated by Vietnamesearchaeologists in 1974 and recognised as a Special NationalArchaeological Site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourismin 2015.
The cave has been excavated many times and determinedto be the first site in the country containing traces of ancient humans fromthe Paleolithic to the Neolithic period.
Con Moong (meaning “animal” in the Muong ethnicminority language) is 147m above the sea level and belongs to the Dong Giaogeological layer dating back 240 million years ago. It measures some 40m inlength, with two gates on both ends. Inside the cave, the ceiling at someplaces is 10m high.
In 2020, the Prime Minister approved a plan to preserveand promote the value of Con Moong Cave and its surrounding relics./.