The short field campaign gave us the opportunity to start the documentation of
two seemingly distinct stone constructions. At least end, we found out that the
stone wall B2 is complementary of the underground structure B1. The latter
construction is centrally located in what appears as a quadrangular enclosure
wall having defensive character. The overall area enclosed by the wall can be
estimated to be about 900m2. Such a large surface was certainly not
solely intended to fence an underground depot or cache. The rough pavement
observed around B1, the remains of charred wood and cinder deposits found around
B1 and on the inner side of the wall corner strongly indicate that the site was
occupied by people, probably by the builders themselves. Moreover, this
infrastructure was intended to last for some time. All these facts and elements
help us to view the complex site B1-B2 as a camp, certainly built and occupied
for defensive purposes. In fact, we could imagine such a site as a military
garrison camp. Further investigation will certainly bring more information about
the shape of the enclosing wall (entrance gate), about the activities of the
occupying group of people (fireplaces, substructures, habitat remains), about
the detailed morphology and construction style of the passageway leading to the
underground structure, and about the exact function of the underground
construction. The dated samples gave us the opportunity to state that the
underground part of this complex site was in use until the end of the 8th
century, or eventually until the beginning of the 9th century
AD. The complex was thus built and used at a time when Buddhism was spreading
through the regions later regrouped to form Bhutan.
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