Archaeological investigations in Spiti Valley, India have shed new light on the prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology of the Trans-Himalayan region. Previous research in the area was limited to rock art only, but recent investigations have revealed prehistoric remains, providing unique insights into the region's archaeology. This research builds on previous studies conducted in Kinnaur and Malari in India, and Upper Mustang in Nepal, allowing for a broader understanding of the emergence of cultural remains in the Trans-Himalayan territory as a single cultural zone.
The findings indicate that similar archaeological remains evolved in different periods, reflecting various burial structures, modes, and identical material culture and belief in an afterlife with their local cultural tradition, prehistoric stone tools, and rock art. While earlier archaeological investigations in Spiti Valley have focused more on the Buddhist era, this research fills a void in reconstructing the pre and protohistoric archaeology of the Trans-Himalayan region from the Indian perspective.
The study also highlights the genesis and expansion of prehistoric sites and rock art and burial culture in Indian Trans-Himalaya, providing important insights into the past. The presence of lithic tools in the area suggests the antiquities date back to the prehistoric era, while the scientific dates of remains from burials recovered indicate absolute dates of 500 BCE to 700 CE. The presence of rock art in the area also reveals more about the people of the past who have left their markings from the bronze age to historical times. Overall, these findings have opened up new avenues for investigation into the prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology of the Trans-Himalayan region.
