Edited by Geoffrey Barstow, Mickey Stockwell and Michael White | Tibetan & Himalayan Library
Copyright © 2010 by the author.
Published under the THL Digital Text License. |
Site elements
Appended edifice
The edifice (temple-tomb) appended to the array of pillars is generally aligned in the cardinal directions, and measures 17 m (north-south) by 10.5 m (east-west). This formidable structure is still 5 m to 6 m in height. Originally, this building may have even been taller. The coursed-rubble outer walls were made to a very high order of proficiency, and are around 70 cm in thickness. Some of the courses of stones are positioned diagonally to create a herringbone pattern. The walls of the edifice are primarily composed of chunks of a reddish calcareous rock, with thick seams between each course. These seams must have been filled with a mud- or clay-based mortar. The interior face of the outer walls and certain internal partition walls appear to have been mostly composed of brown sandstone slabs. Some of the sandstone rubble of the ruin may also have comprised the all-stone corbelled roof assembly. The stonework of the west and north walls (the two most intact sides) are interspersed with three courses of thin sandstone bond-stones (50 cm to 90 cm long).
Unfortunately, the temple-tomb edifice is far too fragmentary for an accurate assessment of its ground plan. It has disintegrated into a huge masonry mass in which few design details have survived. Most of the structure appears to have been subdivided by a longitudinal partition wall (around 70 cm thick) into west and east halves, each portion of which is further subdivided by walls into several compartments. These compartments appear to have been of various sizes. They probably functioned as burial chambers and perhaps for the conduct of funerary rituals as well. This is the only clear example of an edifice belonging to this monument typology that was subdivided by a wall longitudinally. Also, most appended edifices seem to house far fewer internal compartments than the structure at Towo MarhrangTho bo dmar hrang. There is a small prayer flag mast (darchokdar lcog) and a fragment of an inscribed plaque on the high point of the edifice.
Pillar Array
The array of pillars is oriented in the cardinal directions, and measures 18.5 m (north-west) by 49 m (east-west). The array contains around 250 standing stones, a significant portion of which are broken. These in situ pillars represent less than 20 percent of the original number that stood in the concourse. These pillars currently come within 2 m to 4 m of the appended edifice. The pillars are between 10 cm and 80 cm in height, and are made of sandstone, white granite and other kinds of rocks. All the taller pillars are inclined due to the effect of gravity. There are also quite a few dislodged menhirs scattered around the array, the longest of which is 1.5 m. As is normal in this monument typology, the two broad faces of the tabular pillars face north and south.
There are fragments of double-course slab walls and perhaps single-course slab walls bordering the array. The individual slabs of these walls are up to 1.2 m in length, and were inserted into the ground edgewise. To the east of the array there are two fragmentary double-course slabs walls, which extend 8 m and 10 m east of the most easterly pillar. One of these slab walls is located east of the south side of the array, while the other one is situated 4.5 m north of its counterpart. An L-shaped slab-wall fragment (3 m and 5 m long) is also found 23 m east of the northeast corner of the pillar array. This structure may mark the easternmost extent of the slab-wall network of the site.
Funerary enclosures
Roughly 15 m west of the edifice there is an ovoid heaped-stone wall funerary enclosure (about 10 m across). Its walls are around 30 cm in height. There is also a smaller funerary structure situated halfway between this enclosure and the edifice. It consists of a dense dispersion of stones with no evidence of ordered walls.
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- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- A Typological Description and Analysis of Archaic Monuments
- I. Residential Monuments
- II. Archaic Ceremonial Monuments
- II.1. Stelae and accompanying structures: Funerary and non-funerary structures
- Beltsa Gyangtrok DoringBal tshwa gyang khrog rdo ring
- Gurchen DoringGur chen rdo ring
- Khusé DoringKhu se rdo ring
- Jangdé DoringByang sde rdo ring
- Sana Marri DoringSa sna dmar ri rdo ring
- Drukmö Doring’Brug mo’i rdo ring
- Doring TsotraRdo ring mtsho bkra
- Tara DoringRta ra rdo ring
- Drama Nakgu DoringGra ma nag gu rdo ring
- A Serchung Doring’A ser chung rdo ring
- Ukpa Lung Doring’Ug pa lung rdo ring
- Gyaplung DoringRgyab lung rdo ring
- Marchö DoringMar mchod rdo ring
- Sakti DoringSag thi rdo ring
- Luma Archung DoringLu ma ar chung rdo ring
- Nangchu DoringNang chu rdo ring
- Naklhé DoringNag lhas rdo ring
- Lumö Tanak DoringKlu mo’i rta nag rdo ring
- Tsari Lung MöndurTshwa ri lung mon dur
- Shapak DoringSha phag rdo ring
- Tangra DoringThang ra rdo ring
- Nakkhung DoringNag khung rdo ring
- Doring KarnakRdo ring dkar nag
- TekyerThes skyer
- Kekar MöndurRked dkar mon dur
- Mokyok DoringMo kyog rdo ring
- Bültang DoringBul thang rdo ring
- Kyungmö MönraSkyung mo’i mon ra
- Nakpo DoringNag po rdo ring
- Ngönmo DoringSngon mo rdo ring
- Zhalung DoringZha lung rdo ring
- Sanyel DoringSa nyal rdo ring
- Ngönmo MöndurSngon mo mon dur
- Yanglung DoringG.yang lung rdo ring
- Nyönpa Lhé DoringSmyon pa lhas rdo ring
- Garshok DoringSgar gshog rdo ring
- Lhaktsang DoringLhag tshang rdo ring
- Drangchungwa Bam DoringGrang chung ba bam rdo ring
- Gangchen DoringGangs chen rdo ring
- Nakhama DoringNa mkha’ ma rdo ring
- Shamzha DoringGsham zha rdo ring
- Doring RaktsukRdo ring rag gtsug
- Doring GyaplungRdo ring rgyab lung
- Marbuk DoringDmar sbug rdo ring
- Takpur Doring’Thag phur rdo ring
- Yachü DoringG.ya’ bcud rdo ring
- Kyao DoringSkya’o rdo ring
- Chönkhor DoringChos ’khor rdo ring
- Langchen ChewaGlang chen mche ba
- Doring Lung DoringRdo ring lung rdo ring
- Gyatengbur DoringRgya steng ’bur rdo ring
- Langchen DopurGlang chen rdo phur
- Khyiu DurtröKhyi’u dur khrod
- Dzatsok DoringRdza tshogs rdo ring
- Doring NakkhaRdo ring nag kha
- A Ong DoringA ’ong rdo ring
- PaktukPags mthug
- Drakgo DoringBrag sgo rdo ring
- Na NakpoSna nag po
- Khorbuk Doring’Khor sbug rdo ring
- Zhingsa DoringZhing sa rdo ring
- Horduk DoringHor dug rdo ring
- Lhalung DoringLha lung rdo ring
- Jamri DoringByams ri rdo ring
- Tratsang DoringKhra tshang rdo ring
- Omatsé Doring’O ma tshe rdo ring
- Gokdeu DoringSgog rde’u rdo ring
- Khangmar DzashakKhang dmar rdza shag
- Tsengo DoringBtsan sgo rdo ring
- DomilangRdo mi lang
- NgoringSngo ring
- DoringRdo ring
- Nyungkar DoringNyung dkar rdo ring
- Nyenta DoringGnyan rta rdo ring
- KyiserSkyid gser
- Chunak DoringChu nag rdo ring
- Rinchen Chundé DoringRin chen chu ’ded rdo ring
- Tara DoringRta ra rdo ring
- Sharma DoringShar ma rdo ring
- Mönbu DoringMon bu rdo ring
- Dralung DoringGra lung rdo ring
- Dowa SumpaRdo ba gsum pa
- Pelmo TakpurDpal mo ’thag phur
- Gyachung MöndoraRgya chung mon rdo ra
- Gyachen MöndoraRgya chen mon rdo ra
- DoringRdo ring
- DoringRdo ring
- GyamngönGyam sngon
- SokpoSog po
- Dröwo DoringGros bo rdo ring
- DolhéRdo lhas
- Donak DoringRdo nag rdo ring
- DomilangRdo mi lang
- Drakbuk DoringBrag sbug rdo ring
- Trachap DoringKhra chab rdo ring
- TsendoBtsan rdo
- Drankhor DoSbra ’khor rdo
- Kanyin DoringKa nyin rdo ring
- Gyungnak Tsuk DoringGyung nag gtsug rdo ring
- Nyerma Gyam DoringGnyer ma gyam rdo ring
- Jiri BukByi ri sbug
- Tsoksum DoringTshogs gsum rdo ring
- DoringRdo ring
- RokhungRo khung
- Drarong MöndurGra rong mon 'dur
- Dolang NyidrikRdo lang gnyis sgrig
- Lukdo Möndur KhungLug rdo mon dur khung
- Jori DoringJo ri rdo ring
- Droklhé DoringGrog lhas rdo ring
- Zangdong MöndoZangs gdong mon rdo
- II.2. Superficial structures: Primarily funerary superstructure
- Drak TsangpoBrag gtsang po
- Purang KhyölSpu rang ’khyol
- Dziden Chungwa MöndurBrdzi gdan chung ba mon dur
- Burkar Zhung’Bur dkar gzhung
- Nakra MöndurNag ra mon dur
- Tsapo DeumburTshwa po rde’u ’bur
- Drakratar MöndurBrag ra thar mon dur
- Deumbur Nakri MöndurRde’u ’bur nag ri mon dur
- Rindzin MöndurRi ’dzin mon dur
- Rirung MöndurRi rung mon dur
- Jorkhok’Byor khog
- Sergam MöndurSer sgam mon dur
- Luma Drak MöndurLu ma brag mon dur
- NyenmarGnyan dmar
- Chöser MöndurPhyod ser mon dur
- Nelé DrakNe le brag
- Nakra Drakseng MönraNag ra brag seng mon ra
- Beltsa GyangtrokBal tshwa gyang khrog
- Gyamnak MönkhangGyam nag mon khang
- Nyerma Gyam MöndoGnyer ma gyam mon rdo
- Jiu MöndoByi’u mon rdo
- Dripra MöndurGrib ra mon dur
- SechungSe chung
- DingdumSdings zlum
- Ser RiriSer ris ris
- Keltra MöndurSkal khra mon dur
- Name unknown
- Name unknown
- Mandep NupmaDmar ldebs nub ma
- Dramé DzukGra ma’i rdzugs
- Tratsang MöndurKhra tshang mon dur
- Nara MöndurSna ra mon dur
- Ronggo MöndurRong mgo mon dur
- KarkhukDkar khug
- GönroDgon ro
- RonglungRong lung
- Gyeltsen TönpoRgyal mtshan mthon po
- DarchenDar chen
- MarrongDmar rong
- RachenRa chen
- Migön ChönyiMi mgon chos nyid
- GokriSgog ri
- SerlungGser lung
- TsemdaRtse mda’
- TrachenBkra chen
- SangkharBsang mkhar
- SholopukSho lo phug
- Darlung GyangroDar lung gyang ro
- DringakGrib ’gag
- Naser TangGna’ gser thang
- Tsokgi MöndurBtsog gi mon dur
- GyamgyaGyam rgya
- Dorjé DzongRdo rje rdzong
- TsakamTshwa skam
- Trandra MöndurKhra ’dra mon dur
- Drak NakpoBrag nag po
- Omlung’Om lung
- Gyangro NadongGyang ro sna gdong
- Zhunmé DoZhun ma’i mdo
- DeurukRde’u rug
- NyaNya
- NedéGnas sde
- Genmo DeumburRgan mo rde’u ’bur
- Chumik Do LatséChu mig mdo la btsas
- Shongdo RaShong rdo ra
- Tara MönraRta ra mon ra
- Belmo MöndurBal mo mon dur
- Bumtor Chok Möndur’Bum gtor mchog mon dur
- Trachap MöndurKhra chab mon dur
- Salung MöndurSa lung mon dur
- Gakchen’Gag chen
- Shakdé MöndurShag sde mon dur
- Demchok MöndurBde mchog mon dur
- KolokKo logs
- RakderRag sder
- DraktsukBrag gtsug
- NakgyamNag gyam
- Tsanyer Marmbur MönkhangTsha gnyer dmar ’bur mon khang
- Chutiku MönkhangChu thig’u mon khang
- Doring BarmaRdo ring bar ma
- Radra Khordo MöndurRa gra ’khor rdo mon dur
- Dungri Rachung MöndurDung ri ra chung mon dur
- Ritil Tsuk MöndurRi mthil gtsug mon dur
- Pöri MöndurSpos ri mon dur
- KyipzhungSkyibs gzhung
- Tsitsi Mönré TangkaRtsi rtsid mon ra’i thang kha
- Chepu MöndoraChad phu mon rdo ra
- SemodoSe mo do North
- KhandokKha ’dogs
- Tsodo MöndurMtsho do mon dur
- Gyamngönpo MöndurGyam sngon po mon dur
- Unknown
- II.3. Cubic mountaintop tombs
- Trashi DarlungBkra shis dar lung
- Endritsé MöndurAn ’bri rtse mon dur
- Drönchung’Bron chung mon dur
- NyukriSmyug ri
- Drakrel ChokBrag ral lcog
- GomkhorSgom ’khor
- Gyamchung MöndurGyam chung mon dur
- Milam KhyilamMi lam khyi lam
- Denjangri Mukpo DongLdan byang ri smug po gdong
- Tsuk SerraGtsug ser ra
- Gyaruk MöndurRgya rug mon dur
- Dzari RakpaRdza ri rag pa
- PaktukPags mthug
- Cheri TeldzongPhye ri thal rdzong
- Yadra TrikG.ya’ sbra khrigs
- Tagen GyamnariRta rgan gyam sna ri
- Tremo KharSpre mo mkhar
- Rübel MukpoRus sbal smug po
- Tsokgi MöndurBtsog gi mon dur
- ShankhorwaShar ’khor ba
- Alhé Möndur’A lhas mon dur
- Yitsé KharYid rtse mkhar
- Selhé MönkhangGsas lhas mon khang
- II.4. Shrines and miscellaneous constructions
- II.1. Stelae and accompanying structures: Funerary and non-funerary structures
- Supplemental Data on Archaeological Sites First Surveyed before 2001
- DzongserRdzong ser
- Dangra Khyung DzongDang ra khyung rdzong
- Lhalung DruppukLha lung sgrub phug
- TrizhungKhri gzhung
- Shakgang Topo DoringShag gang mtho po rdo ring
- Mertum Chukmo DoringMer btum phyug mo rdo ring
- Pelmo DoringDpal mo rdo phur
- Doring MarmoRdo ring dmar mo
- Doring ChakraRdo ring lcags ra
- Towo MarhrangTho bo dmar hrang
- Chupur DopurChu phur rdo phur
- KyelungSkye lung and LungsumLung gsum
- Milhé KhordoMi lhas ’khor mdo
- Tsamé Gösa MöndurRtswa med god sa mon dur
- Tamchok Ngangpa DoRta mchog ngang pa do
- Tables of the Names and Locations of All Archaic Monuments and Rock Art Sites Documented to Date
- Questions concerning the accuracy of site names
- I.1. Residential Structures Occupying Summits
- I.2 Residential Structures in All Other Locations
- II.1 Stelae and Accompanying Structures
- II.2 Superficial Structures (Primarily Funerary Superstructures)
- II.3 Cubic Mountaintop Tombs
- II.4 Shrines, Minor Stone Constructions and Miscellaneous Structures
- III. Agricultural Structures
- IV. Earthworks
- V.1 Petroglyphs
- V.2 Pictographs
- Map Index
- Bibliography