This study presents glacio-archaeological evidence from the Miyar basin, Lahaul Himalaya, that points towards the former presence of a well settled agricultural society, within a glacier end moraine complex. Three high altitude villages (Tharang, Phundang and Patam, now in ruins) with elaborate irrigation networks thrived within the end moraine complex of Tharang glacier at 3700 m a.s.l. Evidence exists in the form of dilapidated houses which had an organised internal space, chronologically constrained by radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dating. These settlements occupied the end moraine complex between 980 and 1840 CE, thereby encompassing the majority of Little Ice Age period (1300–1600 CE), as defined elsewhere. The existence of settlements along with an irrigation system and associate fields at ∼3700-3800 m a.s.l. for almost ∼860 years during the late 10^th to early 19^th centuries suggests more favourable climatic (warm) conditions that at present. By contrast, present habitation is restricted to areas below ∼3500 m a.s.l. However, the slope controlled irrigation system also suggests moisture stressed conditions during the 980–1840 CE period, similar to present. The available temperature and snowfall proxies for the region support our proposed timing, and suggest favourable climatic conditions for the survival of these settlements.

这项研究提供了米哈尔盆地拉合尔喜马拉雅山的冰川考古证据，表明冰川端冰ora复合物中以前存在着一个定居的农业社会。在海拔3700 m的Tharang冰川末端冰ora构造中，三个精心制作的灌溉网络蓬勃发展的高海拔村庄（Tharang，Phundang和Patam ）以房屋破旧的形式存在，房屋内部空间井井有条，受到时间的限制放射性碳（¹⁴C）约会。这些定居点占据了980年至1840年之间的冰m末端复合体，从而涵盖了小冰河时期（1300-1600 CE）的大部分时间，如其他地方所定义。与已故的10期间的灌溉系统和准领域在~3700-3800 m左右，几乎~860几年一路定居点的存在^日提前19^日几个世纪以来，目前的气候（温暖）条件更为有利。相比之下，目前的栖息地仅限于海拔3500 m以下的区域。然而，坡度控制的灌溉系统也表明，在980-1840 CE年期间，水分胁迫的条件与现在相似。该地区可用的温度和降雪代理支持我们建议的时间安排，并为这些定居点的生存提出了有利的气候条件。