Preliminary Report of the 2024 Excavation in front of Caves 35-41 in Kizil (Xinjiang, China)1*

Abstract

The 2024 excavation by the Kizil Grottoes Research Institute and the School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, in front of Caves 35-41 at the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves (Xinjiang, China) uncovered 19 features— including two rock-cut stairways, three small caves, one man-made stone structure—and recovered 394 artifacts such as ceramics, gypsum, copper coins, and glass beads. Stratigraphic analysis, combined with architectural study and radiocarbon dating, defined four main phases from the 3rd to the 8th centuries CE, followed by abandonment during the medieval period. The results clarify how the cliff face was cut, modified, and ultimately abandoned, refining the chronology and spatial organization of this sector. This work provides a key reference for Kizil’s development and underscores the potential for further excavation of other cave areas and associated ground-level monastic structures.