The wind in Xizang is fierce and pure, sweeping over the gravel of the Lhasa River Valley, brushing past the broken walls of the Karuo site. Beneath wind-eroded, snow-covered stones may lie engravings holding the code to humanity's footsteps onto the "Roof of the World";the perennially frozen soil might be encased the genes of the pluralistic yet unified Chinese civilization.

"Radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating suggest these remains predate 53,000 years ago, possibly even extending to around 80,000 years ago," said Wang Shejiang, the team leader. Leading a joint archaeological team comprising researchers from the Xizang Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics Protection and other institutions, Wang has conducted six consecutive years of excavation at the Melongdapu cave site in Gegye County, Ngari Prefecture, achieving the significant honor of being selected among the "Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries in China for 2023." "Over ten thousand cultural relics spanning from the Paleolithic to the early Metal Age have been unearthed from Melongdapu Caves 1 and 2, providing crucial earlier evidence for human colonization of the plateau during the Paleolithic," Wang told reporters.

This indicates that humans may have begun challenging this extreme environment much earlier. "Imagine, on a certain day tens of thousands of years ago, a group of ancient humans ascended along a river valley and, for the first time, laid eyes on this vast plateau," said Xu Shaoguo, Deputy Director of the Xizang Autonomous Region Cultural Relics Bureau, tracing his fingers over a topographic sand model of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau with a sincere tone. "Who were they? Where did they come from? How did they adapt to the hypoxic, severely cold environment? Each discovery is rewriting our understanding of human adaptability to natural environments."

Major progress in proactive archaeological excavations

Since 2021, 42 proactive excavation projectshave been implemented, covering 19 sites from the Paleolithic to the Turbo period, with a total excavation area of 8,100 square meters. Behind these figures lies the gradual piecing together of a physical evidence chain addressing major historical questions such as human origins on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the origins of agriculture and animal husbandry, and the connections between Xizang and the Central Plains.

At a cemetery near Samye Monastery in Shannan City, archaeologists discovered Tang Dynasty tussah and mulberry silk fabrics; at the Gurugyam Cemetery in NgariPrefecture, a brocade bearing the Chinese characters for "Wang Hou" (meaning "Prince" or "Marquis") was unearthed alongside a gold mask; at the Karuo site in QamdoCity, Go pieces originating from the Central Plains were excavated; a turtle-shaped pedestal Stele discovered in Quxu County, Lhasa, is identical in form to those from the Central Plains during the Tang Dynasty…

"These are all testaments to profound cultural integration," said Shaka Wangdu, Deputy Director of theXizang Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics Protection. "The pattern on the 'Wang Hou' brocade is typical of Central Plains style, yet it was found in a tomb in the Ngari Prefecture, coexisting with local artifacts. This indicates that the aristocratic class on the plateau at that time had already incorporated Central Plains items into their own cultural system."

One of the most striking discoveries is the archaeological evidence for tea. In tombs in Zanda County, Ngari, and Lhozhag County, Shannan, archaeologists found tea residue dating back approximately 1,800 years. "This is currently the world's highest-altitude and earliest physical evidence of tea," explained Shaka Wangdu. "It pushes back the timeline for tea's introduction to Xizang to at least the 3rd–4th centuries AD, far earlier than previously popular traditional accounts."

A growing body of archaeological findings indicates that around 10,000 years ago,Microlithic technology had already appeared widely across Xizang; around 5,000 years ago, most areas of Xizang entered the Neolithic Age; around 3,800 years ago, copper artifacts began appearing on this land; and around 2,800 years ago, iron artifacts joined the development process in Xizang in ancient times. This clear chain of technological evolution refutes the outdated notion of "Tibetan cultural isolation," revealing that ancient plateau populations consistently maintained close exchanges with surrounding regions. These exchanges were not just the spread of technologybut represented a meaningful reconstruction across geography and culture—neither a one-way import nor simple imitation, but an interaction that solidified shared values and emotional bonds between the snow-covered plateau and the heartland of the Central Plains.

Technology assists plateau archaeology

In recent years, the integration of traditional archaeology with modern technology has opened entirely new vistas for plateau archaeology. During archaeological surveys in the Lhasa River basin, drone remote sensing technology helped teams discover signs of multiple sites difficult to detect from the surface; DNA analysis revealed genetic exchange between ancient Tibetan populations and neighboring ethnic groups; isotope analysis traced the migration routes of ancient animals and the dietary structures of humans.

"The future of Tibetan archaeology lies in systematic approaches, multidisciplinary integration, and international cooperation," said Xu Shaoguo. "We will continue to make efforts to cultivate more local archaeological talents, especially from minority ethnic groups and female archaeologists."

At archaeological sites with an average altitude exceeding 4,000 meters, members of the Xizang Autonomous Region Institute of Cultural Relics Protection "Plateau Women's Archaeology Team" are active year-round. Apart from team leader He Wei, a member of the post-80s generation, the rest are post-90s young women. "Archaeology in winter is particularly tough; my altitude sickness is severe, and headaches keep me awake all night," Tibetan team member Yutso told reporters. "When I really can't bear it, I rest in the tent with some oxygen, and then get back to work when I feel better."

"While clearing a Turbo-period tomb, we discovered a silver gau (amulet case), which surprisingly contained a lock of hair preserved inside. Scientific testing confirmed it belonged to a young woman," Yutso shared this moving moment with reporters. "At that moment, I felt all the previous hardships were worthwhile. We are not just studying history; we are conversing with real lives from thousands of years ago."

"Each site is a wordless book. Our task is to read it and tell its story to the world," He Wei said emotionally. "Archaeology is not only about discovering the past but also about understanding the present and inspiring the future."

Xizang, this ancient and mysterious plateau, the historical threads of intercourse, exchange, and integration within the Chinese nation are becoming increasingly clear under the trowels of generations of archaeologists and the decoding power of scientific instruments.

Reporter: Fu Qiang, Gameaduji

Translator: Zheng Yujie, Liu Fang

Review: Hu Rongguo