peoples of the Tibetan Plateau. Exploring ancient Ladakh with Martin Vernier It is with much pleasure that I introduce the explorer Martin Vernier to readers of this newsletter. Single-handedly, he…
threats to the integrity of the region’s history and cultural heritage are faced almost daily. The article featured in this newsletter began as a lecture delivered at the Conference of…
Hopefully, with the publication of this newsletter readers in the PRC and elsewhere might act to prevent the loss of old Kyisum village. Its renovation and preservation would not only…
universal symbol in the beliefs, aspirations and struggles of a people occupying one of the largest territories in the heart of Asia. Read on to discover the marvels of Tibet’s…
that I include the knowledge and opinion of experts in my newsletter. I would also like to call the attention of my readers to an excellent paper about silks in…
end of April, I attended a seminar in Mumbai about Shri Ashtapad, the greatest and most elusive of Jain temples. I think just about everyone who reads this newsletter will…
observations in High Asia. My early journals read more like travelogues interspersed with interesting facts about the Himalayan locations and the peoples I have lived among. The later journals have…
that last January’s newsletter showcased ancient khyung rock art from Upper Tibet. Same this year, but firstly, for your inspection, here is an unusual inscription expressing the most exhilarating of…
observed today. Although it carries a Buddhist gloss, the nomadic mind is imbued with the essential worldview of Zhang Zhung: an existence in which gods, humans and animals negotiate with…
and painted in Upper Tibet. This is followed by a primer on the antique turquoise of the Tibetan world, revealing a surprising variety of beautiful, semi-precious stones. A unique collection…
ancient Dardic culture of Tangier? Here is some fascinating information given to me by a man we met on the trek today. The malik (owner) of the valley is a…
Khyung supplies readers with unique articles on Tibet monthly. There is nowhere flse on the worldwide web where information presented in these pages can be found. So please read on…
western Tibet in 2010. These funerary sites consisting of temple-tombs and concourses of standing stones were briefly introduced to readers in the November 2010 newsletter. This month’s more detailed treatment…
this newsletter were first documented between 1995 and 2000. To date, I have surveyed around 140 such ancient citadels in Upper Tibet. More than any other archaeological resource in the…
International Ashtapad Research Foundation. In the lap of Mount Tise, above the Gyangdrak amphitheatre, an all-stone corbelled residence was located at 5470 m above sea level. This ruin may well…
crops allowed a string of villages to appear near the lakeshore. As we saw in last month’s newsletter, some of these villages are at least a 1000 years old. Nevertheless,…
origins of gold and beer delightful reading, not to mention its cultural historical value. The engraved stones featured afterwards are among the rarest forms of writing discovered in Tibet. Also,…
change – may it bring more peace and justice into the world. I like meeting people such as the shepherd this morning who speaks English. He seems a very good…
The second feature in this newsletter reviews a recent article by Taylor et al. on the domestication of the horse in Mongolia and its role in burials of the Late…
508 words Regular readers will remember that in the January 2015 newsletter there was a definition of the word bon / Bon. Here I shall improve upon that definition. In…
of stunning beauty and rarity. Many things you will see and read about in these newsletters, art historical and archaeometallurgical, can be found nowhere else. The article on early bronze…
stones to cave monasteries filled with frescoes of incredible cosmopolitan sophistication, it is one of the world’s finest cultural heritage zones. The history and accomplishments of Ngari are truly something…
indomitable group of spirit-mediums still carry on their hoary practices today. In my 2005 book Calling Down the Gods, I announced that top spirit-mediums of Upper Tibet not appearing in…
Ladakh. Local tradition, esthetic preferences and sociopolitical conditions, among other factors, may account for the popularity of the animal style in Ruthok. To introduce the reader to the breadth of…
…way of applying some of the things this city-state has learned to the rest of the world. In particular, I was impressed by the way in which ethnicity and religious…
world are counterproductive to national security. There is nothing novel about this idea; the United Nations was established on the principle that nations must have a common forum in order…
of two famous lakes is benefited by my subsequent research and exploration. Yet, much remains to be done. Most of the photos featured in this newsletter have never before been…
