Tibetannet

Up until now, archaeologists from different countries have discovered 5 golden masks in the middle and west sections of the Himalayan belt.

Three masks have been unearthed in succession, in Ngari Prefecture, northern foothills of the Himalaya within the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Amongst the three is one that is particularly legendary. In 2010, monks incidentally discovered a tombin front of the Guru Jiamu Monastery in Gar County of Ngari prefecture.

In the summer of 2011, Chinese archaeologists conducted an excavation. A Tibetan villager picked up a wrinkled up object and was about to throw it away, as he cleaned the dust off he found that it was a golden mask.The mask was made with gold plating. The front has red, black and white paint giving it character, the eyes, beard and teeth can be vaguely seen.

Archeologists unearthed respectively one mask in the Section I and Section II of Qutamb tombof Zanda County, Tibet. Archeological research clarifies that these masks should all belong to the same culture.

From the point of view of time, according to written accounts in Han and Tibetan scripts, the only possible corresponding tribe should be the Shangshung tribe.

What was the purpose of these ancient Shangshung people in using these gold masks?

Archaeologists infer that the most basic function of gold masks was perhaps for use in final wrapping of bodies when they were put into the tombs.

Furthermore, they appear to have been supplemented with vermillion and gold colored silk fabrics bearing the degree of wealth and social position of the late individual.