GIS Derived Viewsheds of Mountaintop Tombs in Western Tibet: A Preliminary Survey

This study examines 31 Cubic Mountaintop Tombs in Western Tibet with GIS-derived Viewsheds. The purpose of this preliminary survey is to determine if this unique type of tomb found only on this part of the Tibetan Plateau and believed to date from the Bronze to Iron Ages was constructed and designed to be seen by passers-by below or were they intended to be hidden from view. This preliminary survey represents the first such effort to utilize Digital Elevation Models (DEM) in constructing Viewsheds of archaeological sites on the Tibetan Plateau. Initial findings indicate one Mountaintop Tomb was constructed in a location visible to both passers-by below and the highest local mountain peak.