More may soon be known of the craftsmanship and engineering of the ancient Bhutanese, with archaeologists excavating the ruins of Drapham dzong that predates the era of the Zhabdrung.
Since the excavation project started in 2008, with support from Helvetas and the Zurich-based Swiss-Liechtenstein foundation for archaeological research abroad (SLSA), Professor Meyer from the university of Basel has been leading a team to the site for two months every year, starting in October.
The project is commissioned for three years, with an annual budget of 60,000 Swiss francs. “The excavation is being carried out every year from October for two months, since we have local farmers involved in excavation to avoid criticism of treasure hunting,” he said.
Standing on a hill that sits at the centre of the beautiful Chokhor-toe valley in Bumthang, Drapham dzong was built by the Chokhor Deb, who ruled the valley at that time.
The prime minister, Lyonchhoen Jigmi Y Thinley, on a recent visit to Bumthang, told Kuensel that the ruins were chosen for the first excavation, because of its unique features and since it was the largest structure that predates Zhabdrung.
“It’s interesting for its size and, according to archaeologists, it was the largest structure in Asian Buddhist countries,” said the prime minister. “It’ll lead us to the secrets of those days as we dig deeper.”
According to Lyonchhoen, the dzong was not only an administration structure, but also the protector of the central region, and a gateway for travellers and traders to and fro Tibet.
Drapham dzong was also unique, as it had four watchtowers, unlike the other dzongs that have only one. “This means this structure was not facing enemies only from Tibet, but also from within the country during those days,” he said.
According to the project’s focal person from Helvetas, Namgyel Tshering, the result of the first carbon dating of upper layer soil indicates that the dzong may be more than 400 years old. “As the excavation gets deeper, the results of carbon dating might change,” he said. “We’ve already sent some pottery, ceramics and charcoal that we got for carbon dating and the results are expected by the end of June.”
The government has already sent an engineer to study archaeology and one Bhutanese is already pursuing the subject at Cambridge University. She also visits the excavation site in Bumthang every year.
“The size is amazing; I think it may be bigger than the Wangdue dzong,” said the home minister in a recent interview with Kuensel. “It’s the right site for a pilot excavation.”
It is believed that the Chokhor Deb himself blew up the dzong as he has to abandon it to escape a large invasion from Tibet. “Carbon dating traces the destruction to an explosive,” said the prime minister.
Source: Kuensel Online