"Uncovering Prehistoric Cultural Interactions on the Tibetan Plateau"
A new study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Sichuan University in China traces the roots of longstanding cultural interactions across the Tibetan Plateau to prehistoric times, as early as the Bronze Age. Using advanced geospatial modeling, the researchers found that mobility and subsistence strategies influenced the settlement pattern and transfer of ceramic styles among distant prehistoric communities across the plateau. The study suggests the emergence of "mobility highways" over centuries of use, revealing how mobility was key for building social relationships and the regional character of ancient communities on the Tibetan Plateau.