Pre -Paleolithic Age: Human civilization started in Vietnam a very long time ago. In fact, archaeologists have found vestiges of Homo Erectus in the caves of Lang Son and Nghe An Provinces. During the Pre-Paleolithic Age, also known as the Son Vi Era (between 10,000 to 30,000 years ago), the population of Vietnam was rather large and widespread.

Neolithic Age: During this period, groups of people with different cultural attributes mixed together. The people used sophisticated trimmed stone axes, produced stone rings, and designed pottery goods.

Bronze Age: The Bronze Age society produced bronze tools, weapons, and jewelry. They harvested crops and raised several kinds of domestic animals, such as buffalo, oxen, and pigs. Three different cultural groups existed during this period. The Pre-Dong Son lived in the Ma River, the Ca River and the Red River Delta areas, the Pre-Sa Huynh inhabited the southern areas of central Vietnam, and the third group inhabited the Dong Nai River Delta. The Pre-Dong Son society existed at the same time as the early Hung Vuong Dynasty.

Iron Age: The various subgroups of the Pre-Dong Son culture in the northern areas of Central Vietnam eventually absorbed together to form the Dong Son culture, this group of people existed in the Early Iron Age, as they produced several kinds of iron tools. This unique culture was characterized by sophisticated products, which included beautifully designed bronze drums.