On April 24, the Mapu Tsho site in the Xizang Autonomous Region was selected as one of the top ten new archaeological discoveries in 2024. The Mabucuo lake is quiet and deep, and there is a secret that spans more than 4000 years.

This is a panoramic view of the Mapu Tsho site. (Provided by the Institute of Cultural Relics Protection of the Xizang Autonomous Region)

In this site, the archaeological team excavated various relics from different periods, witnessing the changes in time and the evolution of civilization on the snowy plateau.

From 5000 to 4000 years ago, a group of people who relied on hunting and gathering for a living lived on the shores of Mapu Tsho Lake at an altitude of over 4400 meters. They made tools from stones and bones and hunted and fished by the lake. Various pottery fragments with decorative patterns were found in the remains of this period.

In the site dating back 4,000 to 3,300 years, two Fire pits were discovered, with cooking smoke rising gently in the sky over the plateau. The lives of ancient people gradually stabilized and became more prosperous, awakening their pursuit of beauty. Among the artifacts from this period, shell-mimicking stone pendants are the most distinctive. The most distinctive feature of the site from this period is the imitation shell stone plaque decoration made of stone imitating shells. 

In the site of this period, there are also a large number of decorations made of foreign materials. For example, bronze ware, agate, red chalcedony, etc. In addition, crops such as millet, sorghum, and rice were also discovered. The crops that cannot be grown locally may have been obtained through long-distance trade, filling many gaps in the field of cross regional cultural exchange, and also becoming a footnote to interpreting the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.

In the site，dating back 3300 to 3000 years ago, were discovered bronze chain links, as well as a large number of clay made stone tools, cinnabar coated stone tools, and comb shaped tools.

During this period, the production of pottery was also more refined, represented by the polished black skin pottery pointed round bottom jars with folded edges. The pottery jar patterns were in line with the early pottery fragment patterns of the site, and there was a trend towards miniaturization.

The cultural appearance of this site is clearly different from other discovered sites, representing a new type of archaeological culture - the ' Mapu Tsho Culture'.

The discovery of the Mapu Tsho site allows us to glimpse the historical changes spanning over four thousand years by the shores of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. From simple stone tools to bronze chain links, from patterns on pottery jars to stone replicas of shells, every cultural relic carries the wisdom and stories of our ancestors. Spread out the delicate thread of the evolution of Chinese civilization, allowing the sound of history to travel through time and space, and be clearly audible.