Archeologists found a large-scale sacrificial relics site along the Qinghai-Tibet railway in Nagqu County in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Covering an area of 260 square meters, the site consists of four square stone piles facing a nearby "sacred" mountain traditionally revered by local Tibetans.

It was the first time that a red pottery pot was found buried in each of the piles with marks of fire and smoke at the bottom and skulls of various animals were found circling the pottery pots including skulls of cattle, sheep and dogs, according to Zhang Jianlin, a researcher with the Shaanxi Archeology Research Institute.

Judging by the pottery pots, the relics site belongs to the 7th to the 9th century when the Tubo ethnic group dominated, said Zhang, and the skulls, arranged in a circle, had no lower jaws except some small animals.

Such a sacrificial killing proved local people did not follow Buddhism at that time, which would not permit such a cruel killing, but a kind of ancient religion, Bonbo, which was still mysterious to modern people, said Zhang, who participated in the field work.

According to historical documents, Bonbo prevailed in Tibet before the entry of Buddhism and believers worshipped "natural spirits" such as sacred mountains, sacred lakes, sacred boulders and sacred woods.
 
(People's Daily November 11, 2003)