Archaeological site of the Neolithic Age

Location: Changdu County, the Tibet Autonomous Region 

Period: 3,000-2,000 BC

Excavated from 1978 to 1979

Significance: The Karuo Culture is named after the site. It is the first excavation of the settlement site in the Tibetan Plateau.

 Introduction

Living on the "roof of the world" and at the foot of the snow mountains, the Tibetan people in the Tibet Autonomous Region have created splendid culture and arts, including a sea of rare cultural relics, with unique ethnic style from generation to generation.  

Remains of house no. 12: (in the background, length 540 cm); Pottery jar in the shape of two animals: food container or water vessel (mid, length 32 cm); Necklace made of marble and clay rock: ornament (on the right of the background, length 52 cm)

Karuo Site is the only archaeological site of the Neolithic Age among the 20 cultural relics in Tibet. The site covers an area of about 10,000 square meters and is considered by the archaeological world as one of the three Tibetan aboriginal cultural relics. The foundation of houses, paved roads, stonewalls, stone altars and pits were unearthed from the well-preserved site and a great number of stoneware, pottery, bone ware and other ornamental articles were discovered.

The pottery pot unearthed in Karuo, Qamdo Prefecture, was a rare relic of the Neolithic Age. It is made up of yellow clay and micro sand. Its surface is decorated with cutting strokes and black painting, and its body is in the shape of two beasts standing opposite to each other.