佛教石窟斷代方法新進展：如何基於貝葉斯模型(OxCal)和考古信息提高碳十四測年精度=New Progress in the Chronological Study of Buddhist Caves: Combining Bayesian Modeling with Archaeological Information to Improve Dating Accuracy
The Buddhist caves along the Silk Road have provided a tremendous amount of first-hand material for studying the cultural interaction between the east and the west. However, a finer chronological framework is required in order to advance our understanding of the underlying development and historic value of the culture of this area. Taking the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang as an example, this paper attempts to combine inscriptions, relative chronological studies, and a large number of radiocarbon dates using the Bayesian algorithm(OxCal). This method allows us to further improve the chronological understanding of Caves 268,272 and 274 at Dunhuang and sketch the construction history of cave 285. Because of the similarities in construction dates and cultural content, it can be argued that this methodology can be effectively extended to the studies of many other Buddhist caves along the Silk Road and that the use of the Bayesian algorithm may further contribute to the research of Chinese Buddhism and the cultural interaction along the Silk Road.
