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Full text of article
'Šída P, 2023: ETHNOARCHAEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS
OF PASTORALISM IN THE MOUNTAINS
OF THE WEST INDIAN HIMALAYAS, RESULTS
FROM TRAVELS DURING YEAR 1999. Anthropologie (Brno) 61, 3: 327-342'. |
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Abstract | During two trips to the Indian part of the Himalayas in the state of Himachal Pradesh in 1999, I had the
opportunity to observe various archaeological manifestations of pastoral activities. In the area of the Indrahar Pass
above the town of Dharamsala, the first observations were made. Short-term shelters along the road through the pass,
which is used to move herds over the mountains, are complemented by stable stone buildings used by transhumant
herders, as well as stable villages. On the way, in addition to the objects that provide the necessities of life (springs), we
also find a shrine. The second site is the Chikka valley, near the village of Jagatsukh, near Manali. Here it has been
possible to document whole groups of short-term shelters of different ages. Several short-term shelters are also associated
with pastoral activities, and shrines can be found in one valley. Grazing activity could also be observed from vegetation
symptoms. Field observations at both sites show a surprisingly large variability in traces of pastoral activity, some of
which are archaeologically very inconspicuous and easily disappear in the long-term time horizon. | | Keywords | Himalayas – Shepherds – Transhumance – Buildings – Anthropology | | DOI | https://doi.org/10.26720/anthro.23.11.07.1 | |
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