Archeologists in northern Vietnam have unearthed the skeleton of a young woman buried at least from 3,200-3,700 years ago. The discovery is one of the oldest human remains found in archeological sites documenting the emergence of Vietnamese civilization during the Bronze Age in the Red River delta.
     The skeleton, believed to be of a woman age 20-30 when she died, was discovered in a tomb being excavated in Phu Tho province, 80 kilometres west of Hanoi. The 1.5-meter-tall skeleton was buried with hundreds of pieces of pottery, and the surrounding area has yielded axes, chisels and utensils such as vases and bowls, VN Express reported.
     The Phu Tho site, in the remote village of Ren, represents the earliest evidence of the Hung dynasty, considered the first Vietnamese rulers. According to the tradition, the first Vietnamese ruler was Hung Vuong, who legend holds founded his dynasty in 2879 BCE. The rise of the Hung dynasty - which ruled until about 300 BCE - was marked by the beginning of rice cultivation.

Sources: Deutsche Presse-Agentur, M&C Science & Nature (23 January 2006)