Archaeologists have discovered 4,800-year-old relics in the earliest known lakeside settlement in Tibet, officially the Xizang Autonomous Region of China, dating back thousands of years. The site, first identified in 2019, is one of the highest-altitude Neolithic sites ever found.
The Neolithic period, known for the rise of agriculture, permanent settlements, and early civilizations, was a crucial time in human history.
Many Neolithic sites have been found at lower altitudes; however, the discovery of relics in Mapu Tsho sheds light on how ancient people adapted to harsh environments in the highlands.
Ancient relics Discovered in Tibet
A five-year excavation at the Mapu Tsho site in Xigaze City, Tibet, conducted between 2020 and 2024, revealed significant evidence of early human life. The Xizang Cultural Relics Protection Institute led the project in collaboration with researchers from Lanzhou University and Peking University.
The site spans more than 140,000 square meters (34 acres) and is located at an altitude of 4,410 to 4,430 meters (14,468 to 14,534 feet) above sea level.
Early settlers developed ways to use lake resources, including fish and edible plants, to survive in this high-altitude environment. Archaeologists have so far excavated 1,650 square meters, uncovering key materials that shed light on ancient human activity in the region.
The unearthed relics show that the ancestors at the Mapu Tsho site were typical of the people from East Asia and represented indigenous groups of the plateau.
Ancient remains and DNA analysis
Researchers collected plant remains, microscopic residues, and ancient DNA preserved in the sediment during the excavation. These materials provided critical insights into the settlement’s timeline and the people who once lived there.
Subsequent analysis determined that the site was occupied between 4,800 and 2,000 years ago, making it a crucial location for understanding early human adaptation to high-altitude environments.
Shargan Wangdue, the lead archaeologist, said the findings offer direct evidence of continuous human habitation in the region over millennia.
“The Mapu Tsho site provides us with practical examples to understand how the prehistoric plateau people utilized lake resources and adopted different cultural and economic strategies to adapt to different developmental stages through cultural integration,” Wangdue said.
New insights into early plateau civilizations
Researchers have traced the origins of a distinct Neolithic culture in central Tibet to around 4,000 years ago for the first time. The discovery marks a breakthrough in understanding the development of early plateau civilizations.
The discovery of relics at Mapu Tsho in China’s Xizang Autonomous Region offers valuable insight into the origins of Tibetan culture. The Mapu Tsho site joins other key archaeological finds in the region, including the Karub ruins in Qamdo and the Qugong ruins in Lhasa. These sites have been critical in piecing together the prehistoric lifestyle of early settlers in Tibet.