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Chapter 07
Ancient Tibet - History and Culture
million years ago and lasting until 10,000 years ago. The Paleolithic is divided into three eras. Lower Paleolithic early Old Stone Age): 2.5 million to 200,000 years ago, Middle Paleolithic (middle Old Stone Age): 100,000-40,000 years ago, Upper Paleolithic (late Old Stone Age): 40,000-10,000 years ago. The Paleolithic is followed by the Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age): 10,000 years ago until farming practices began, marking the opening of the Neolithic (New Stone Age).
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UPLIFT OF THE PLATEAU Though the Tibetan plateau had formed by 45 million years ago when India collided with Asia, rapid uplift did not begin until 2-3 million years ago. Experts offer different heights and rates of uplift. For example, according to different sources, the height of the Himalayas 3 million years ago was: 2000 meters; 3000 meters; 4000 meters; or even 5000 meters.
Appendix - D
Historical Terms
'A-ZHA A culture or kingdom connected with the bSe tribe according Tibetan records. 'A-zha was conquered by Tibet in the seventh Century. Modern scholars connect 'A-zha with the T'u-yu-hun people, who established a kingdom in the northeastern corner of the plateau in the fourth century.
A-MI MU-ZI-KHRI-DO The ancestor of the Tibetan tribes, according the Po-ti-bse-ru. His three different wives gave rise to the four great tribes of Tibet.
A-MSUVARMAN King of Nepal (r. 576-621), whose daughter Khri-btsan married Srong-btsansgam-po.
BON A religious tradition that was practiced in Tibet before the introuction of Buddhism. Bon lineages continue to the present time.
BRU-SHA The Gilgit region along the Indus river in modern-day Pakistan. It was part of the Tibetan Empire in the eighth century.
CH'ANG-AN Capital of Tang China. Invaded by Tibet in 763 A.D.
CH'IANG Tribes said by Han dynasty records to have been living west of China as early as 1500 B.C. T'ang dynasty accounts suggest they might be ancestors of the Tibetans. Ch'iang tribes still live in the eastern orderlands.
DATING SYSTEM The Tibetan dating system used since the eleventh century is based on cycles of sixty years. Within one cycle, each year is indicated by an animal and an element. Twelve animals are combined with five elements to give sixty unique year names, such as fire-dog or earth-horse. 'DUS-SRONG The thirty-sixth king of Tibet, great-grandson of Srong-btsan-sgam-po, and grandfather of Khri-srong-1de-btsan.
FOUR CULTURES See 'A-zha, Zhang-Zhung, Sumpa, and Mi-nyag.
GLANG-DAR-MA The forty-second king of Tibet, reat-grandson of Khri-srong-lde-btsan. His persecution of Buddhists temporarily halted royal support for the Dharma.
GRI-GUM-BTSAN-PO The eighth king of Tibet. Having cut the cord Connecting the kings to the sky, he was the first Tibetan king to die upon the earth. The first tombs date to his era.
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Ancient Tibet
