Drawn and Written in Stone An Inventory of Stepped Structures and Inscriptions on Rock Surfaces in Upper Tibet (ca. 100 BCE to 1400 CE)

Drawn and Written in Stone explores the religious history of the highest part of the TibetanPlateau through its rock art and inscriptions. It is focused on facsimiles ofritual and ceremonial monuments carved and painted on stone surfaces and rockinscriptions in the Tibetan language, vital archaeological and historicalmaterials for appraising the development of religion in Tibet, ca. 100 BCE to1400 CE. By probing the complexion of figures and letters in stone, this workconsiders how early cult traditions contributed to the establishment of TibetanBuddhism and a rival faith known as Yungdrung Bon. Outside of the Indiancultural context, relatively little has been written about the historicalantecedents of these popular Tibetan religions for a want of sources. Thismonograph helps remedy this large gap in Tibetan studies by drawing upon theauthor's surveys of rock art and rock inscriptions conducted in upmost Tibetbetween 1995 and 2013.