Xinhua News Agency Lanzhou, June 10th Title: "Lecture History" for the Cave - Archaeological Observation of Maijishan Grottoes
Xinhua News Agency reporters Hu Weijie, Chen Bin, and Lang Bingbing
On Zhang Ming's desk, there is a report book, which records a large amount of data and latest research results about Caves 74 and 78 of Maijishan Grottoes. Zhang Ming and his team spent two and a half years writing this document worth more than 400 pages, and finally "moved" the immovable grotto from Maiji Cliff to the book.
Zhang Ming has worked at the Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute for 15 years and is now the deputy director of the Protection Institute. In 2020, he and his colleagues carried out a significant work - writing the first Archaeological report in the history of Maijishan Grottoes.
Maijishan Grottoes are located in Tianshui City, Gansu Province. As one of the religious relics heritage sites of " Silk Road : Chang'an —The Road Network of Tianshan Corridors", it was included in a World Cultural Heritage in 2014. The grottoes contain physical information about religion, art and architecture that spans thousands of years. On the east and west cliffs of the mountain, there are 221 caves, 10,632 clay sculptures and stone sculptures, and more than 1,000 square meters of murals.
This is the Maijishan Grottoes (drone photo) taken on June 9. Photo by Chen Bin, Xinhua News Agency reporter
So many cultural relics treasures have posed a huge challenge to the cultural protection workers in Maijishan.
"In the past, the archives about the cave only simply record how many square meters of murals, sizes, how many statues are there, and the rough age, etc.," said Zhang Ming.
Over the past thousand years, the statues on the cliff have undergone many reshaping and changes. Some statues are like "year rings" of tree trunks, and believers of different dynasties have made different bodies for it; some statues are like "thousand layers of clothes", with paints from different eras superimposed on each other, giving off a different brilliance. Behind each statue is a little-known and explored history.
Now, Zhang Ming and his team have begun to "write history" for each cave, sort out the ins and outs of it, and observe all the changes that cave has experienced over the long time. Finally, through data models and analysis and research, they are presented vividly to the world in books.
Visitors visit Cave 9 of Maijishan Grottoes (photo taken on June 9). Photo by Chen Bin, Xinhua News Agency reporter
"We need to refine all the content. The murals alone include the original content and what are the redrawn contents, as well as the several layers of the murals, various disease conditions, preservation status and pigment analysis, etc.." This is a complex project. They have completed the first draft of the sample draft of the archaeological reports of two caves. It will take a long time to complete the archaeological report of more than 200 caves in Maijishan.
"Protection work is to extend the life of cultural relics as much as possible." In the minds of Zhang Ming and his colleagues, cultural relics protection work is a responsibility and mission passed down from generation to generation. The things that a generation can't finish are done by two or several generations.
In order to record cave information comprehensively, accurately and objectively, Zhang Ming and his team started from research, surveying, photography, protection, scientific and technological testing and other aspects. They uphold the spirit of striving for excellence and meticulously record every detail of the cave. "We must be as objective, real, comprehensive, and accurate as possible," said Zhang Ming.
Zhang Ming (right), deputy director of the Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute, and his colleagues revised and improved the format and sample draft of the "Maijishan Grottoes Archaeological Report" (photo taken on June 9). Photo by Chen Bin, Xinhua News Agency reporter
When carrying out photography work, Zhang Ming and his team need to make serious choices about taking photos. "Only more than 20 qualified photos were selected from the more than 6,000 photos. Light and light and darkness will affect the photography effect. Sometimes a cave has to be taken for multiple days to get a suitable photo." During shooting, any factors that are not conducive to reflecting the original appearance of the cave must be excluded.
, surveying and mapping is more challenging than photography. The statue of Maijishan Grottoes has been around for thousands of years, and the statue itself has a very complex appearance. Since there is no relevant knowledge reserve, surveyors' understanding of statues is inevitably a formality. "This layer of clothes was from the Northern Dynasty period, and the above layer was from the Sui Dynasty . It cannot be simply mixed and processed. It is necessary to accurately judge and distinguish the remaining information of different historical periods."Zhang Ming and his team often communicate with drawing personnel and strive for perfection.
The staff of the Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute work in Cave 133 of the Maijishan Grottoes (photo taken on June 9). Photo by Chen Bin, Xinhua News Agency reporter
In order to accurately judge the production date of the statue, Zhang Ming's team conducted carbon 14 dating by extracting the reed grass and other plants contained in the statue. "Compared with the wood in the statue, plants such as reeds and grass wheat grass are shorter, and the age determination is more accurate. "
On September 7, 2021, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage officially issued the "Medium- and Long-term Plan for Archaeology of Chinese Grottoes Temples (2021-2035). It is proposed that before 2035, the Chinese Grottoes Temple archaeological research system will be basically established and the publication of archaeological reports of important grottoes and temples in the country will be fully completed. Among them, the Maijishan Grottoes Art Institute needs to complete the compilation of 10 volumes of archaeological reports. The archaeological report of all cultural relics in Maijishan Grottoes is expected to be published in a total of more than 30 volumes of reports.
This is a small shaman statue in the niche No. 9 of Cave 133 of Maijishan Grottoes known as the "Oriental Smile" (photo taken on June 9). Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Bin
"This is a career that needs to be devoted to throughout one's life, but I believe all of this is very valuable. "The road is long and long, and "written history" for the grottoes, Zhang Ming and his team are still on the way...
