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In this
section, we first describe the discovery of the site and then describe
each structure as they were discovered during building work. The
archaeological structures are located ultimately next to the building
complex of a new RNR research center that is in construction since end
of 1998.
The
conflicting situation between the construction of the new research
center compound and the archaeological structures arose as soon as the
historicity of the remains had been acknowledged during the campaign
1999. From this point, we could determine that the main conflict lay
only between one of the new buildings and one of the archaeological
structures. The planned construction could not be made without
destroying this monument integrally.
The
evolution of the conflicting situation and solutions to avoid
destruction is reviewed in details in Appendix 2 at the end of this
paper. In Appendix 3, we propose steps toward preservation of this
monument.
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First Discovery
The
precise events of discoveries made at the site are detailed in our
report for 1999 (Blumer and Vial 1999). They were based on the
information gathered locally from the yard architect, consultants,
engineers, and workers and are supplemented by the information related
in a preliminary discovery report by the local consultant W. Roder and
architect F. Baumgartner (RNR-RC / Helvetas
1999).
The
first structure, Batpalathang-B1, was discovered in 1998 while digging
the foundation trench of the first RNR-RC building (“Administration
building”) (Fig. 9: B1). It first
appeared as buried and partly hollow dome-shaped roof built of large
flat stones (see also: Blumer and Vial1999: 218-219, fig. 9, tab. 4,
fig. 19-22). The trench dig and further exploration by the yard team led
to the dismantling of the upper part of the dome-shaped roof and to the
removal of several square-meter of filling in the underground structure.
Few artifacts and samples were collected while proceeding (pottery
fragments, millstone fragments, grinding stone, and wooden remains). To
avoid the full destruction of B1, the team in charge of the building
work decided to shift the “Administration” and “Professional”
building in southeastern direction.
Fig.
9
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Discovery of
Batpalathang B3
The
second structure, Batpalathang B3, was partly uncovered during
mechanical terracing work in the eastern part of the building yard, at
the location of the future fourth building (“Laboratory building”) (Fig. 9: B3). The remains took the shape of a quadrangular
and flat surface of stones. The mechanical shovel removed an
undetermined number of the upper stones and the yard team proceeded to a
manual cleaning of the stone surface. In the process, a bronze coin,
apparently of Tibetan origin, has been retrieved from the sediment near
the platform (see also Blumer and Vial 1999:218-219, figs. 10, 31, tab.
6, fig. 39). The remains of B3 were threatened directly by the
construction of the “Laboratory” building, planed for 2000 (see also
Appendix.2). |
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Other remains
Near
the underground structure B1, the remains of a wall protruded through
the grassy vegetation cover. Those remains, called Batpalathang-B2, were
linear in shape, following a slight ridge, and showed a
southeast-northwest orientation (
Fig. 9: B2). No work was carried out by the RNR-RC team,
excepting the clearing of the southwestern side of the remains on a
length of approximately 2 meters (see also Blumer and Vial 1999: 219 and
235). This structure could be threatened by the building of the parking
lot and by landscaping work.
A
fourth location with archaeological potential was discovered ca. 110
meters south of B3. Due to its location, this structure
(Batpalathang-B4) is not directly threatened by the RNR construction
site. It consists in a small rounded hill located on a small promontory,
oriented east to west, of the 70m-terrace riser (Fig. 9: B4). Covered with
fully-grown blue pines, the structure shows scattered building elements
of stones on its surface and along the slopes of the promontory (see
also: Blumer and Vial 1999: 219-220, fig. 11). Agricultural terrain is
situated against the eastern edge of the structure B4. The RNR team has
neither done excavation work in 1998-1999, nor by us in 1999.
With
those four structures, this area of the 70m-terrace was considered a
location with high archaeological potential. And for the first time in
the history of the Kingdom of Bhutan, a site with archaeological
potential was threatened by construction work, leading to the first
archaeological fieldwork ever carried out in the kingdom.
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