Tibet Archaeology

and all things Tibetan

People

: An elderly couple of Namru known for their profound local knowledge

: Lakeside village in Upper Tibet

: The late Padam, the great spirit medium of Lake Ngangtse

: Making offerings to the water spirits of Lake Nam Tsho

: A local guide

: Herding in Upper Tibet

: Ladies of Tang performing the ancient Shun dances

: A lay practitioner with his son

: A weaver on the Changthang

: A drokpa

: Prelude to a domestic religious ceremony

: Undertaking a curative ritual

: A female story teller and healer

: Monks of Lubo monastery, Changma

: The late Khampai Pachung, one of Upper Tibet’s great spirit mediums

: Upper Tibetan shaman in typical dress

: Walkers on the ice of ages

Scholar, explorer, writer and pilgrim John Vincent Bellezza is widely recognized as one of the foremost specialists in the archaeology and ancient cultural history of Tibet. He has lived in the high Himalaya for over a quarter of a century. Explore these pages for information about his work.

A senior research fellow at the Tibet Center, University of Virginia, Dr. Bellezza has written extensively on the nomads, history and culture of Upper Tibet. A pioneer in his field, he is credited with the discovery of hundreds of pre-Buddhist archaeological sites, describing the monuments and the people that built them in great detail. The Iron Age civilization he has charted is associated with Zhang Zhung, Tibet’s fabled ancient kingdom and source of much of her culture.