Scholar, explorer, writer and pilgrim John Vincent Bellezza is widely recognized as one of the foremost specialists in the archaeology and ancient cultural history of Tibet. He has lived in the high Himalaya for over a quarter of a century. Explore these pages for information about his work.
A senior research fellow at the Tibet Center, University of Virginia, Dr. Bellezza has written extensively on the nomads, history and culture of Upper Tibet. A pioneer in his field, he is credited with the discovery of hundreds of pre-Buddhist archaeological sites, describing the monuments and the people that built them in great detail. The Iron Age civilization he has charted is associated with Zhang Zhung, Tibet’s fabled ancient kingdom and source of much of her culture.
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Dr. Martin Locker gained his Ph.D. in Archaeology from University College London in 2013, focussing on pilgrimage in Medieval Britain. Since then, he has worked variously in archaeology, education, heritage tourism and publishing around Europe. He currently lives in the Pyrenees and runs the ongoing research project 'Perennial Pyrenees', focussing on the archaeology, history, and folklore of the region. He has been published in a variety of journals and books and co-edited several volumes surrounding archaeology, history, and art history.