(TibetanReview.net, Jan24’24) – The hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, reputed as the “roof of the world” or the world’s third pole, had been inhabited since 50,000 years ago, rather than 40,000 years as previously known, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Jan 24, citing the latest archaeological study of a prehistoric cave site there.
Over 10,000 cultural relics, including stone tools, bone artifacts, pottery fragments, bronze items, animal skeletons and plant remains, dating back to 53,000 years ago, have been unearthed at the Meilongdapu (or Melong Tagphug) cave site, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn likewise, citing a state broadcaster CCTV report Jan 22.
The remains, dating from the Paleolithic Age to the early Metal Ages in an area of over 1,000 square metres of the cave, are located on a massif 4,700 metres above the sea level, making it the highest large-scale prehistoric cave site globally, and located in the westernmost Tibetan prefecture of Ali (Tibetan: Ngari).
Archaeologists from the Xizang Regional Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences were stated to have carried out six years of excavation at the site since its discovery in 2018.
Zhang Xiaoling with the IVPP has said the oldest cultural remains in the cave were dated earlier than 53,000 years ago and may even be as early as 80,000 years ago, with the top layer dated 1,000 years ago.
The site is stated to consist of three caves aligned in a row, with the first one covering an area exceeding 1,000 square meters, the second at around 60 square meters, and the third, yet to be excavated, measuring about 25 square metres.
A total of 599 stone artifacts and 1,017 well-preserved animal fossils were found in the first cave. Cut marks on many specimens have shed light on ancient human survival strategies, said the globaltimes.cn report.
Aside from the diverse cultural artifacts, the walls of the first cave also revealed arranged red ochre rock paintings depicting vertical stripes, humanoid outlines, handprints and the sun, the report said.
The second cave was stated to date back to no later than 45,000 years ago and has yielded 8,136 stone artifacts and 952 animal fossils. In addition, a small amount of animal faeces and plant remains were unearthed. Archaeologists have described the cave as the primitive accumulation left by ancient people’s lives.
The archaeological team has noted that the first and second caves preserve cultural deposits from multiple human occupations across different periods, suggesting intermittent habitation due to climate changes or cave collapses.
The third layer at the cave entrance of the first cave was stated to date back to 4,000 to 3,000 years ago, with a top layer dating back 1,000 years. These layers have yielded 1,170 stone artifacts, 622 pottery fragments and 4,350 animal bone fragments, the report said.
Besides, more than 30 Old Stone Age sites and six cave sites were also stated to have been found during a survey of the Gerze Basin where the site is located, with thousands of stone artifacts being collected and five cave rock paintings discovered.
Evidence of on-site stone tool production and pottery usage were stated to support the notion of early humans using caves as permanent dwellings in extremely cold and high-altitude environment.
Regarding the discoveries’ historical importance, the report said: “The abundance of artifacts opens new avenues for exploring human migration patterns and cultural exchanges. The comparative study of stone-making techniques, types and functions at different periods brings new insights into human habitation of the plateau, the evolution of stone tool technology, changes in survival strategies and technological exchanges during the Old Stone Age.
“The diversity and complexity of the pottery have contributed to the understanding of the population composition and cultural interactions among different groups since the New Stone Age.
“The discovery of crop seeds such as barley and peas is particularly significant for studying the origin and diffusion of agriculture in extreme plateau environments and understanding the exchange of agricultural products and population movements at different altitudes.”
The report further said: “Ongoing multidisciplinary research into animal and plant archaeology, paleoenvironmental studies, isotope analysis, ancient protein analysis and sedimentary DNA will provide further insight into the history of human survival in the high-altitude regions of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.”