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The
team in charge of the RNR building yard informed the governmental
authorities (Ministry for Agriculture and National Commission for
Cultural Affairs, formerly SCCA) about the findings. Lyonpo[1]
Kinzang Dorji, Minister for Agriculture of the RGoB[2],
asked N.G.O. Helvetas to
organize an archaeological investigation of the structures directly
threatened by the undergoing building work. Helvetas
contacted the SLFA in February 1999 and a first investigation campaign
could start on April 6th, 1999, for four weeks. A second
fieldwork campaign occurred from April to July 2000, enabling further
documentation of the site. |
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Investigation
Campaign 1999
During
the campaign 1999, we were a small team consisting of 1 archaeologist, 1
representative of the Special Commission for Cultural Affairs, 1 field
assistant, and 3-6 fieldworkers. The main goal was to recognize the
archaeological potential (historical and cultural significance) of the
structures B1, B2 and B3, which were directly threatened by the new
buildings. Our report for 1999 gives detailed insight of the
investigation procedures, as well as advises for further steps to be
made toward complete site documentation and preservation.
The
main results of the first investigation were that:
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structures
B1 and B2 are linked to form an architectural complex of defensive
nature;
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the
stone structure B3 is a massive monument of ceremonial nature;
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the
historicity of monuments B1-B2 and B3 is ascertained by radiocarbon
dating (8-9th century, respectively 16th
century AD);
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the
cultural importance of complex B1-B2 cannot be ascertained due to
lacking historical and archaeological comparative sources for this
period, but its historical importance is clear since it is the first
buried ruin to be documented for the period;
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the
cultural importance of monument B3 appears through its shape, which
has no known equivalent in the country. Its historical importance
cannot be ascertained due to lacking historical and archaeological
comparative sources. |
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Excavation
Campaign 2000
An interdisciplinary team of four Swiss acted as core
investigation group during the second and main excavation campaign: 1
archaeologist, 1 geologist/sedimentologist, 1 biologist, and 1 ethnology
student. As in the preceding year, a representative of the National
Commission for Cultural Affairs (formerly SCCA) from Thimpu supplemented
us. A group of 8-10 local fieldworkers[3]
were hired for us by the RNR-RC direction to assist us on the
excavations. The campaign duration, which was initially planed to be
three months, was extended for one month until end of July.
The
goals set for the second campaign include the following points.
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Full
excavation and documentation of the B3 monument, in order to let the
RNR-RC direction set up a final strategy concerning eventual shifts
of planed buildings on their master plan.
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Completion
of excavation and documentation of the B1-B2 complex, in order to
gain a complete overview of the structural and non-structural
remains.
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Testing
of buried structure B4, located outside of threatened area.
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Retrieving
of oral information among the local population concerning other
potential archaeological or historical sites or remains in the
Choskhor valley.
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Locating,
mapping and briefly describe new sites or remains based on retrieved
local information.
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Establish
the archaeological potential of the visited regions for future
archaeological investigations.
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An
inestimable amount of data was secured in the course of the four-month
campaign, so that all the above-mentioned goals can be reached and
presented in this report. Among the raw data, following is worth a short
summary (Tab.
1):
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Document
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Quantity
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Field journal
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> 170 pages
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Drawings, sketches,
measurement sheets, etc.
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> 190 sheets
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Digital photographs[[4]
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362 pictures
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Slide and negative
photographs[[5]
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> 1600 pictures
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GPS recordings[[6]
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> 120 points
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Computer databases[[7]
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4
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Preliminary analytic
report about the conflicting situation
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1
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Total
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> 2447 documents
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Tab.
1 - Documentation
summary for the campaign 2000. |
Retrospectively,
it appears that both campaigns were successful when compared with the
local setting and work conditions: due to the great involvement of an
inexperienced workmanship, we are today able to characterize more than
five archaeological structures in the Choskhor valley. Of course, we spent
most energy in documenting monument B3 and complex B1-B2, since those were
directly endangered. Among the remainder, we can now give some descriptive
account about other remains of archaeological importance in the Choskhor
valley of Bumthang.
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Footnotes:
[1]
Minister title.
[2]
Royal Government of Bhutan.
[3]
We would like to sincerely thank all local fieldworkers who assisted us
during the campaign 2000: Am Rinzin, Dechen, Karma, Lhamo, Lhamo Yeshi,
Omnath Rai, Pema Tsering, Sonam Choden, Sonam Dema, and Tashi Chesom. We
also thank the RNR-RC yard personal that regularly gave us a hand. Special
thank goes to the yard junior engineer Bhim B. Pradhan who permitted
constructive interaction.
[4]
We thank Dr. Walter Roder of RNR-RC Jakar for lending us a digital camera
of brand Sony Mavica. We could
easily print out digital shots on site using the RNR-RC office computer
and printer. This helped us gaining a lot of time.
[5]
We used three cameras: one Canon
AE-1 reflex camera with 28 mm, 50 mm, and 100 mm lenses and a
flashlight, all lent by Mrs. Nicole Reynaud, Vevey, Switzerland; one Canon FTb with 50 mm lens lent by Mrs. Annette Meuwly,
Avry-devant-Pont, Switzerland; and one Leica
with 50 mm lens belonging to Luc Braillard.
[6]
We used a Garmin 12 Personal
Navigator GPS system belonging to the Swiss National Foundation for
Scientific Research (SNF) and lent to us by Dr. Yvon Csonka, University of
Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
[7]
We processed data on an IBM Thinkpad
laptop computer belonging to the SLFA (Chukotka project) and on a Dell
laptop computer lent us by Mrs. Suzanna Jakimovski, Fribourg |
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