3,500-Year-Old Opal Workshop and Rare Lithophones Unearthed in Vietnam

Archaeologists in Vietnam’s Gia Lai province have uncovered a remarkable prehistoric site dating back more than 3,500 years. Excavations at Plei Ring, located in H’Bong commune of Chu Se district, revealed not only a vast opal stone workshop but also one of the most intriguing musical discoveries in Southeast Asia: a set of prehistoric lithophones, or stone xylophones.

The findings were announced during a conference on August 15, organized by the Pleiku Museum in collaboration with the Southern Institute of Social Sciences. Leading Vietnamese scholars hailed the site as a key hub in the prehistoric network of tool production and cultural exchange across the Central Highlands.

A 3,500-Year-Old Opal Stone Workshop
Excavations between March and June 2025 showed that Plei Ring was more than just a settlement. According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Manh, deputy director of the Archaeological Center, the site functioned as a large-scale opal stone workshop around 3,500 to 3,000 years ago. Craftsmen there mastered chipping and carving techniques to produce an array of tools that supplied not only local communities but also neighboring regions.

Evidence of mass production was clear: numerous discarded and broken artifacts were found, suggesting a strict quality control system and an early division of labor. This discovery highlights the sophistication of prehistoric craftsmanship and the gradual development of an agricultural economy that relied heavily on durable stone tools.

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The Discovery of Lithophones
Among the most striking finds at Plei Ring was a set of lithophones, an ancient musical instrument made from carefully carved stone slabs. When struck with wooden mallets, these stones produce resonant tones similar to those of a xylophone. Lithophones are considered one of the oldest known musical instruments in human history, with some examples in Vietnam dating back at least 3,000 years.

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