Bhutan's Pre-Historic Period

• Exploring Bhutan's past is valuable, particularly for understanding changes in human and natural landscapes, cultural connections, trade, ideologies, and personalities
• Analyzing past events helps inform the present and guide the future
• Focus is on periods before the advent of Buddhism in Bhutan in the 7th century, which is considered the start of Bhutanese history
• The arrival of Buddhism is marked by the construction of Jampa Lhakhang in Bumthang and Kyichu Lhakhang in Paro by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo (c. 605-50)
• This period is referred to as ‘Early Diffusion' and ‘Early History' of Bhutan

Pre-Historic Period of Bhutan

• The time before written records is available that is concerned with early hunter-gatherers and the evolution of human activities
• Two methods used to study this period are the study of material culture and oral culture
• Material culture includes human-created artifacts and features
• Origin myths, local narratives, folk songs, stories, and ballads are included in oral culture
• Material culture includes physical artifacts, resources, and spaces used to define culture
• Analyzing material remains informs about the socio-economic conditions of the past
• Artifacts are grouped into periods and cultures, such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, are based on the materials used
• Terms like Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) and Neolithic (New Stone Age) originally defined periods but later represented prehistoric cultures

Artifacts and Monoliths

• Main clues about Bhutan's pre-historic period
• Ancient items and monoliths found in Bhutanese homes indicate Stone Age civilization
• Items such as namchag (stone adzes) and doring (megalith)
• The Bhutanese collect ancient artifacts and can be found in altar rooms and lhakhang, along with namcha tari
• Megaliths are found throughout Bhutan, often marking ancient political and ritual boundaries
• One megalith stands out at Nabji Lhakhang in Trongsa Dzongkhag, erected in the 8th century by Guru Padmasambhava to mark peace between warring kings
• Oral stories provide additional context, but the reasons for their erection and function remain unclear
• Other landscape features include mounds, cliff and cave settlements, and architectural ruins
• Umling Bangtsho in Lhuntse Dzongkhag has ruins of a nine-storey underground castle built by Bangtsho Gyalpo
• Cliff and cave settlements are in northern Bhutan, such as Pagoe Sham in the upper Thimphu valley
• People create stories around artifacts and features like lithic tools, fossils, caves, rock art, and ancient ruins
• These features indicate activities such as tool-making, boundary marking, fighting, building burial and ceremonial mounds, constructing homes, and artistic expression

Nabji Lhakhang

• Name means "taking an oath"
• King Sindhu Raja and King Nawoche took an oath of non-violence here in the presence of Guru Padmasambhava
• A monolith with handprints was erected where the temple stands, known as nado (stone of oath)

Oral Culture

• Knowledge, art, ideas, and cultural material is communicated, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to the next through speech or song, including folktales, ballads, chants, prose, or verses
• Bhutanese have had a continuous experience of existence without major disruptions, which means continuity in stories
• Oral stories preserve cultural identity and history, connecting generations and passing down important lessons, values, and historical events

Prince Drimed Kunden (Vesantra)

• Exiled to the wild mountains of northern Bhutan with his wife and two children
• Encountered people in various places, such as Changra which was renamed for his compassion and generosity
• A narrative tells of a Bhutanese monk named Tonpa, who served in the palace of Pragjyotisa (Assam) in the 5th century CE and later accompanied Princess Amrtaprabha to Kashmir
• Bhutan may have received initiation into Buddhism earlier than Tibet.