Sacrificial vesselin Tibet in ancient China:Study on Gabala Bowl at Wenjiang Duo Site in Qushui County

The Kapala bowl is a representative sacrificial vessel of Tibetan Buddhism. Previously, most documented Kapala bowls in China were cultural relics collected during the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty. In 2021, a skull was unearthed from the sixth layer of the No. 7 wall at the Wenjiang Duo site in Qushui County, Tibet, China. The Wenjiang Duo site was a grand temple constructed during the Tubo period and continued to function as a Buddhist temple in later periods. Historical records state that Kapala bowls were typically made from the skulls of eminent monks. Radiocarbon dating (C14) determined the skull’s age to be AD 772–950. This skull was cut along the upper brow arch, middle parietal bone, upper temporal bone, and upper occipital bone. Examination with a depth-of-field microscope revealed that the incisions were polished flat, forming the rim of the bowl. Based on the condition of the intracranial sagittal suture and lambdoid suture, the skull belonged to a woman aged 25–35 years. This Kapala bowl, made from a female skull, represents the first excavated specimen with a clear archaeological context. The finding of this Kapala bowl provides valuable insights into the origins, production techniques, and symbolic significance of this type of sacrificial vessel.