Displaying 1 - 14 of 14
<p>This book begins with a comprehensive introduction to the pre-Buddhist culture, people, and environment of Tibet. Particular attntion is paid to why pre-historic man chose to permanently reside in one of the harshest environments in the world and to the adaptive religious strategies which were an integral part of the settlement process.</p>
<p>This book examines a host of ancient monuments and rock art sites discovered by John Vincent Bellezza during his Upper Tibet Circumnavigation Expedition conducted in 2000. Adding significantly to his earlier work in the field, the author introduces for the first time 100 archaeological sites perched on the highest parts of the Tibetan plateau, including those found in the vicinity of holy Mount Kailash. The physical traces unearthed by the author are of the utmost importance to our understanding of the pre-Buddhist civilization of Tibet. As this work demonstrates, until the adoption of Indian Buddhism beginning in the 7th century CE, Tibet was home to an indigenous culture that was responsible for the creation of an impressive network of citadels, settlements, temples and necropolises. The documentation of these ancient monuments provided in this monograph helps to define a field with vast potential. <em>Antiquities of Upper Tibet</em> first introduces the reader to the culture and environment of Upper Tibet prior to the 7th century CE. Special attention is paid to archaeological parallels with other early civilizations of Inner Asia, placing its Tibetan variant in a clearer temporal and material perspective. By outlining the interconnections that existed in early times between Tibet and her northern and western neighbors this monograph plots a course pertinent to our understanding of the development of civilization in Eurasia. The main part of this work consists of an inventory of archaeological sites, which is organized according to a scheme of functional and morphological typologies. Each typological group is prefaced with a description of its physical characteristics, relevant Tibetan textual sources and cross-cultural comparisons. Authoritatively expounded, this evidence begins to illuminate the late prehistory of Upper Tibet, opening a new chapter in archaeology of the region. As such, this scholarly contribution can only stimulate the interest of all those who wonder about the origins of the Tibetan people and their culture.</p>
<p>This book examines 400+ ancient monuments and rock art sites of upper Tibet discovered by John Vincent Bellezza. It is divided into two volumes: residential monuments and ceremonial monuments. The surveys of each site include photos, descriptions of the site, history of the site, etc. (Steven Weinberger 2012-06-26)</p>
<p>Documentation of archaic monuments and rock art in northwestern Tibet. Carried out under the auspices of the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences and Ngari Xiangxiong Cultural Exchange Association of the Tibet Autonomous Region.</p>
This study covers the cultural and religious history of two sets of mountains and lakes which have a sacred significance to the nomad communities in northern Tibet, the area known as the 'Byang Thang'. Besides seeking the oral and literary sources, the author also undertook personal surveys of these unique landscape features and their surroundings, discovering in the process cave art, ruins and landforms which are fascinating pointers to the ancient Zhang-Zhung civilization of Tibet.
<p>This study covers the cultural and religious history of two sets of mountains and lakes which have a sacred significance to the nomad communities in northern Tibet, the area known as the 'Byang Thang'. Besides seeking the oral and literary sources, the author also undertook personal surveys of these unique landscape features and their surroundings, discovering in the process cave art, ruins and landforms which are fascinating pointers to the ancient Zhang-Zhung civilization of Tibet.</p>
<p>This work encapsulates the full spectrum of extant Tibetan religious heritage. To date, no other ethnographic or literary source has demonstrated such an unmodified and rich juxtaposition of disparate cultural components. The main bodies of tradition (qualitatively and historically) represented include: Indigenous folk culture related to the physical and numinous environment of Upper Tibet, doctrinal material derived from Vajrayana, gCod cult practices, Gling ge-sar bardic content, and Phya-gshen elements specifically pertaining to dpyad (diagnosis), gto (beneficial rites) and the cult of dgra-lha (sgra-bla).</p>
<p>In this paper, the author delineates the territorial extent of the pre-Buddhist paleocultural zone traditionally known as Zhang-zhung, by examining the geographic distribution of its monumental remains. Using a comprehensive inventory of pre-Buddhist archaeological sites conducted in Upper Tibet (traditionally known as Stod and Byang-thang) between 1992-2002, this paper will provisionally establish the cultural frontiers of Zhang-zhung. The assemblage of monument typologies in Upper Tibet with their highly distinctive morphologies and design traits serve as an index for gauging the areal configuration of pre-Buddhist culture. In particular, the unique pillar typologies of Upper Tibet distinguish Zhang-zhung from the archaeological heritage of adjoining regions.</p>