Tibetan and Himalayan Library - THL

II.2. Superficial structures: Primarily funerary superstructure

Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur

Basic site data

• Site name: Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur
• English equivalent: Conch Mountain Small Enclosures MönMon Tombs
• Site number: D-121
• Site typology: II.2a, II.2b
• Elevation: 4530 m
• Administrative location (township): MamikMa mig
• Administrative location (county): GertséSger rtse
• Survey expedition: TUE
• Survey date: September 26, 2005
• Contemporary usage: Light grazing.
• Identifiable Buddhist constructions: None.
• Maps: UTRS III, UTRS VII, HAS A3
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General site characteristics

Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur is located on the north side of the wedge-shaped Lakkor TsoLag skor mtsho. The site is found on a well-drained sandy and gravelly plain and is bound in the north by a ridge. From the site there are open views to the south, east and west. There are six funerary enclosures at Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur, exhibiting single-course, double-course and multiple-course perimeter walls. These enclosures have open interiors. They were built primarily using uncut pieces of blue-gray limestone, 10 cm to 60 cm in length.

Oral tradition

According to local drokpa’brog pa, Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur is associated with the ancient MönMon. The site is considered potentially harmful (ka nyenpobka’ gnyan po).

Site elements

Funerary Structure FS1

Funerary structure FS1 is a trapezoidal enclosure that was built on slightly elevated ground. Its two parallel walls (north and south) are aligned east and west. The south wall is 3 m long and the north wall is 2.3 m long. The single-course perimeter walls contain stones placed edgewise into the ground. These stones (up to 35 cm long) project as much as 15 cm above the ground surface.

Funerary Structure FS2

Funerary structure FS2 is also found on slightly elevated ground. This multiple-course, quadrate enclosure is aligned in the cardinal directions, and measures 9 m (north-south) by 11.2 m (east-west). Most sections of the four walls (80 cm to 90 cm thick) are intact, but they are highly eroded. Many tiny stones, as well as those up to 60 cm in length, were laid side by side in order to make up the breadth of the perimeter walls. These stones are even with the ground surface or rise above it as much as 20 cm.

Funerary Structure FS3

Funerary structure FS3 is situated 9.7 m south of FS2 at slightly lower elevation. FS3 consists of a fairly complex network of walls that are more or less aligned in the cardinal directions. The mostly smaller, upright stones of the FS3 walls are even with the ground surface or project above it to a maximum height of 20 cm. Bounding the north and south sides of FS3 enclosure are double-course walls (around 80 cm thick). The fragmentary south wall is currently 13.3 m in length (its original length is unclear) and the highly fragmentary north wall is now 10 m in length. In the east half of the south wall, only one course of stones has endured. The enclosure is subdivided into two quadrate cells. The west cell runs the full length between the north and south walls of FS3. It measures 6.1 m (north-south) by 3.6 m (east-west). The east wall of the west enclosure is of single-course composition, while its west wall is double-course (around 80 cm thick). The east cell (3.5 m by 3.8 m) is situated 4 m to the east. This subsidiary enclosure is contained well within the outer north and south walls of the enclosure. The east cell has three single-course walls, while its west wall is double-course (around 90 cm thick).

Funerary Structure FS4

Funerary structure FS4 is situated 17 m east of FS3. This highly degraded structure appears to have been made up of at least two interconnected enclosures, as revealed by intersecting wall fragments. An east-west wall segment is 3.6 m in length and a north-south wall segment is 2.6 m in length. The stones in these walls are level with the ground surface or rise above it to a maximum height of 15 cm.

Funerary Structure FS5

Funerary structure FS5 is situated 26.5 m northeast of FS4. This single-course (?) quadrate perimeter measures 2.5 m (north-south) by 2 m (east-west). The perimeter walls of FS5 are made up of relatively larger stones (up to 50 cm long), which project as much as 20 cm above ground level.

Funerary Structure FS6

Funerary structure FS6 (10.2 m by 8 m) is situated near the winter pastoral settlement of Dungri RachungDung ri ra chung. This is a single-course quadrate enclosure.