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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0PLOS One

Dating the key structures of the Guge ancient city through integrated ¹⁴C and literary research

  • Xiaoli He1
  • Changqing Fu2
  • Jiaming Niu3
  • Shargan Wangdue4
  • Zhijian Cao5
  • Jianlin Zhang
5 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Art and Design, Guangzhou Maritime University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
  2. 2Visual Culture Research Center, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
  3. 3Tibetan Institute of the Preservation of Cultural Relics, Lhasa, China
  4. 4Department of Cultural Heritage Protection and anagement, Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
  5. 5Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, China
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Abstract

This study integrates AMS 14C dating of 12 plant specimens, Bayesian modeling, and Tibetan texts to establish the first high-resolution construction chronology for key structures of the Guge ancient city in western Tibet. To ensure chronological precision and mitigate the old-wood effect, sampling prioritized short-lived annual plants and the outermost growth layers of small-diameter timber. Radiocarbon data were processed using the IntCal20 calibration curve and constrained by independent historical termini ante quos derived from mural inscriptions and prayer texts. The findings delineate three primary developmental phases: an Early Construction Phase (mid-to-late 15th century) encompassing the VIF27 complex, dated to 1457–1471 CE; a White Temple Phase (mid-16th century) focused on Buddha statues, which ended between 1556 and 1560 CE; and a Late Defensive Phase (mid-17th to late 18th century) involving the reinforcement of Watchtower VIII D2 (1661–1813 CE), possibly in response to regional conflicts. Notably, the use of herbaceous samples successfully resolved the 16th-century calibration plateau ambiguities, aligning the production closely with the reign of King Jig rten dbang phyug. This systematic framework provides a robust empirical foundation for understanding the architectural evolution and socio-political transformations of the Guge Kingdom.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{he2026dating,
  title = {{Dating the key structures of the Guge ancient city through integrated ¹⁴C and literary research}},
  author = {Xiaoli He and Changqing Fu and Jiaming Niu and Shargan Wangdue and Zhijian Cao and Jianlin Zhang},
  journal = {PLOS One},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0353853},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353853},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Dating the key structures of the Guge ancient city through integrated ¹⁴C and literary research
AU  - Xiaoli He
AU  - Changqing Fu
AU  - Jiaming Niu
AU  - Shargan Wangdue
AU  - Zhijian Cao
AU  - Jianlin Zhang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/30
JO  - PLOS One
DO  - 10.1371/journal.pone.0353853
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353853
AB  - This study integrates AMS 14C dating of 12 plant specimens, Bayesian modeling, and Tibetan texts to establish the first high-resolution construction chronology for key structures of the Guge ancient city in western Tibet. To ensure chronological precision and mitigate the old-wood effect, sampling prioritized short-lived annual plants and the outermost growth layers of small-diameter timber. Radiocarbon data were processed using the IntCal20 calibration curve and constrained by independent historical termini ante quos derived from mural inscriptions and prayer texts. The findings delineate three primary developmental phases: an Early Construction Phase (mid-to-late 15th century) encompassing the VIF27 complex, dated to 1457–1471 CE; a White Temple Phase (mid-16th century) focused on Buddha statues, which ended between 1556 and 1560 CE; and a Late Defensive Phase (mid-17th to late 18th century) involving the reinforcement of Watchtower VIII D2 (1661–1813 CE), possibly in response to regional conflicts. Notably, the use of herbaceous samples successfully resolved the 16th-century calibration plateau ambiguities, aligning the production closely with the reign of King Jig rten dbang phyug. This systematic framework provides a robust empirical foundation for understanding the architectural evolution and socio-political transformations of the Guge Kingdom.
SN  - 1932-6203
ER  -