A New Approach to the Chronology of Caves 268/272/275 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes: Combining Radiocarbon Dates and Archaeological Information within a Bayesian Statistical Framework

A groundbreaking study resolves the long-standing debate on the construction chronology of three early Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes (Caves 268, 272, and 275) by determining they were built around AD 410–440, suggesting coeval rather than sequential development. This finding advances understanding of the establishment of the Mogao Grottoes, early Buddhism in the Gansu corridor, and its relationship with Central Plains Buddhism. The research integrates new radiocarbon (14C) data with existing archaeological and art historical evidence using Bayesian statistical modeling, significantly improving chronological resolution.

Guo, Q., Staff, R. A., Lu, C., Liu, C., Dee, M., Chen, Y., Pollard, A. M., Rawson, J., Su, B., & Liu, R. (2018). A New Approach to the Chronology of Caves 268/272/275 in the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes: Combining Radiocarbon Dates and Archaeological Information within a Bayesian Statistical Framework. Radiocarbon, 60(2), 667–679. https://doi.org/10.1017/rdc.2018.4