Archaeologists from the Ho Chi Minh City-based Archaeology Institute recently discovered what appears to be a 4,000-year old stone workshop in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong (Vietnam). Doctor Bui Chi Hoang said his staff have collected at least 100 opal tools, including hoes and axes, in the hills of Nam Ha commune, Lam Ha district. He said the scientists were also surprised to find an opal mine near the workshop. Opal mines are very rare in Vietnam's southeastern region. The institute has asked the Ministry of Culture and Information’s permission to conduct a large-scale study at the site, hoping to unearth more artifacts.

Source: Thanhnien News (15 May 2007)