Tibet Archaeology

and all things Tibetan

Sacred Geography

: Pelzimphuk Monastery

: Father Targo and Mother Dangra

: Erecting prayer flags at the heart of Lake Nam Tsho

: Mount Tise from the middle of Lake La Ngak

: A shrine for the goddess of Lake Mapang

: A village on the sacred Lake Dangra

: Tise, Asia’s holiest mountain

: The left eye of the goddess Dangra Lekyi Wangmoche

: The defile of Chuti, Guge

: The Zhang Zhung mountain and lake of Tang Gung and Mating Tingmo

: Crossing a huge expanse of ice with upwards of 300 m of water below

: Father Thanglha and Mother Nam Tsho

: Walking to Horse Saddle

: Frozen straits, ancient remains

: Semo Do, the biggest island in Lake Nam Tsho

: En route to the Yellow Island

: The islands of Lake Darok

: The heart of Zhang Zhung’s Warrior Queen

: The fiery red cliffs of the Three Defenders

: The vastness of the northern Chang thang

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.