Before 1951, most archaeological researches in Tibet were carried out by foreigners and were restricted to survey above the ground. It is said that among the Europeans entering Tibet during the 17th and 18th centuries, the majority were catholic missionaries looking for a long-lost community of Christians, believed to be reigned by the legendary medieval Christian priest Prester John. In late 18th century, following the colonization of India by the British, Warren Hatings the British viceroy once dispatched a delegate group to visit Lhasa to investigate the situation of tibet. At the end of the 19th century, the British and Russians, in order to explore the geographic environment of tibet, sent missionaries, merchants and adventureres to go visit Tibet either publicly or under cover. There were also a small number of scholars and other specialists entering Tibet with various aims. They were mainly geologists, bilologists, Oreientalists, and theologians. Their reports of Tibetan archaeological discoveries were monstly scattered materials found in travelogues and other clollective reports. Though not systematic and scientific, these reprots provided important clues for archaeological research of the region in the later ages.

In his Transhimalaya, the Italian tibetologist Professor Guiseppe Tucci much emphasizes the research he made in Tibetan archaeology and art history during his several visits to the region. Publications of similar nature are scare. This book contains over two hundred pictures taken in the 1940s from field studies in Tibet. It contains report of metallic thog deu(thunder stone) and dzi(Gzi) beads falling from the sky. The book provides useful material for the study of these objects.

Archaeology does not have a long history in Tibet. Strictly speaking, the first archaeological research shold be the clearing of the cave burial in teh farm of Pengbo in Lhasa in 1961, followed by the excavation of the Karuo site in Chamo between 1977 and 1979. Despite such a short history of about three decades, the result has been encouraging. The rock apinting in Rutog in Ngari is closely related to Primitive Bon and associated with Zhangzhuang culture.

Archaeological researches in tibet, particularly in the investigation of ancient Zhangzhung culture, are still in progress. Most scholars believe that this ancient culture is the key to ancient Tibetan civilization.

Previous Next