The Mystery of Leshan Tombs

　　Leshan is the name of a peak in Nang County, Tibet. At its foot is Lecun Village, home to some 20 households.

A panoramic view of the Leshan tombs.

　　In the summer of 1993, a group of Beijing and Lhasa archaeologists reached Lecun, which is surrounded by up to 100 tombs. These have been largely ignored for more than 1,000 years. The archaeologists worked on the site for about one month.

　　The tombs spread along a mountain slope. To the south is the Jindongqu River that flows from east to west, emptying into the Yarlung Zangbo River. Further south, are mountain ranges.

Wooden structure bearing Tibetan letters found at Leshan in 1994.

　　This was the third excavation, the first being in 1982. They found 210 tombs that spread over an area of about 500,000 square meters. Most of the tombs were concentrated in the eastern part.

Sketch map of Leshan Tombs

　　While some tombs take the shape of a square, others are ladder-shaped or round. They are varied in size, with the smallest only a dozen cm above ground. Built with stone and wood, they are typical Tibetan.

Ladder-shaped tomb at Leshan

　　In 1993, Tomb No.12 was opened. With rims extending 5-6 meters, the tomb has four walls Ladder-shaped tomb at Leshan.
built with large pieces of rock, and is propped up with wooden pillars. In the western wall is the door. Nothing valuable was found in the chamber.

　　Tomb No.155 is filled with pebbles, dirt and wood. Square wooden structures, each one-meter long, were found inside the chamber. Finely polished, some of them bore Tibetan letters-showing that something resembling a brush was used. Carbon testing showed they were 1,275 years-contemporary with the Tubo Kingdom.

　　From this, the archaeologists concluded it might be a tomb of a Tibetan king of the Tubo period. But further efforts must be made to unlock the mystery.

Pagoda-shaped tomb at Leshan.