On the basis of a general examination of late Northern Dynasties period cave-temples in North China,the author in the present article makes an archaeologico-typological discussion of the eaves with engraved sutras discovered around the ancient capital Ye.The main con- tents are as follows. According to their difference in the amount of sutras and to the relations between the sutra and the image they contain,the caves around Ye can be divided into two types:Type Ⅰ —the cave containig a few paragraphs of sutras,with the layout of the text and image taken into account while they were cut;Type Ⅱ-that with lots of complete sutras but without images. In the first category of cave,the image and sutra show a close relation between each other in subject.The sutra was engraved for the needs of dhyana,playing a supplement ary role to the sculptured image. The engraving of sutras in caves reflects the change of these temples in nature.In addi- tion to traditional dhyana and worship,they functionated as places for the propagation of Buddhist doctrine and with more secularity.The appearance of these engraved sutras was closely related to the thought of degeneration and extinction of the Buddha-law that prevailed in the late Northern Dynasties period.And the sutras in the second type of cave were en- graved mainly"for providing against the extinction of the Buddha-law." The sutras engraved in the Sui period have much to do with the Three Stages School of Buddhism,and the practice of engraving these sutras represents one aspect of its believers’ activities and its influence in the Ye area.
