Dunhuang Mogao Caves, Northern Caves. Volume 3

Author: Peng Jinzhang, Wang Jianjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-31
Features: The "Dunhuang Mogao North Cave Complex" has recently passed expert evaluation, confirming that the complete Mogao Cave Temple Complex is composed of both the northern and southern cave areas. As a result, the number of recorded caves in Mogao will increase from 492 to 735. The Mogao Caves were carved into a cliff about 1,700 meters east of the Mingsha Mountain, with the 492 caves recorded in the "Comprehensive Catalogue of Dunhuang Mogao Caves" all featuring murals and sculptures. Among them, 487 caves are distributed along the approximately 1,000-meter-long southern section. The northern cliff face, apart from caves 461 to 465 which are recorded, also contains hundreds of unrecorded caves, many of which have been overlooked due to the lack of murals and sculptures. However, these long-unnumbered caves have long been a focus of academic interest both in China and abroad regarding their physical characteristics, nature, function, formation period, relationship with the southern caves, and their position within the entire Mogao Cave Complex. After years of large-scale archaeological excavations, the project leader, Dunhuang Academy archaeologist Peng Jinzhang, and the team have finally confirmed the existence of 248 caves in the northern area. Therefore, in addition to the five previously recorded caves, 243 new numbered caves have been added to the Dunhuang cave complex. At the same time, the research team has thoroughly identified the types, nature, and functions of the northern caves, including Zen meditation caves, monk's quarters, and associated meditation caves and granaries, which are the first discoveries in the Dunhuang region, filling gaps in Dunhuang cave research. A large number of valuable artifacts were unearthed during this excavation, including the first discovery of Persian silver coins in the Dunhuang area. Documents such as the Western Xia-era "Fragmented Gold," the bilingual and dual-section dictionary "Fanhàn Heshi Zhongzhongzhu," and the Western Xia-era printed "Essential Mantras of the Vajra," as well as the movable-type printed "Sutra of the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's Great Vows," are all first-time national discoveries. The Chinese phonetic dictionary "Pai Zi Yun" is a long-lost extant manuscript. Currently, the archaeological report on the systematic excavation of the Mogao North Cave Complex and the research findings of unearthed artifacts have been compiled into a three-volume, million-word work titled "Dunhuang Mogao North Cave Complex," with the first volume now published. After evaluation, an expert panel of seven Dunhuang scholars, including He Shizhe, concluded that "Dunhuang Mogao North Cave Complex" features detailed textual records, complete measured maps, and rich photographs. It not only provides valuable materials for comprehensive and in-depth academic research on the Mogao Caves but also confirms that the northern caves are a crucial part of the entire Dunhuang cave complex.