Digital Archive Construction and Research on the Recording Methods of the Cliff Images in Sichuan-sheng, China

本研究以四川地区现存的丰富的摩崖造像这一珍贵的中国文化遗产为研究对象，旨在记录其现状，为今后的侵蚀和人为破坏做好准备，并为研究和保护工作寻求有效的记录方法。研究人员与中国的合作研究机构四川大学和成都市考古研究所合作，通过对目标区域内的悬崖图像进行完整的枚举，然后完成其全部内容的记录，测试了研究方法的变化。目标地区是蒲江和邛崃，均位于四川盆地西部。其中，蒲江有18处，邛崃有5处，共计600余窟。基本的记录方法是对佛像及其附属物（包括石窟结构、测量图和拓片）进行摄影、测量和描述。作为一种可能的替代测量图纸与其不可避免的缺点，研究人员介绍了非接触式三维激光扫描-在中国石窟考古研究流派的开创性尝试-并验证了其优点和缺点。此外，研究者还利用这些数据发表了一些研究论文，从佛教艺术史的角度探讨了该地区艺术活动的意义，为中国佛教艺术史的区域研究提供了一个有意义的前景。

This research features a precious group of Chinese cultural legacy, the abundant cliff images remaining in the Sichuan area, aiming to create a record of their present state in preparation for the progressing destruction due to erosion and human cause, and to seek an effective recording method for research and preservation efforts. The researchers worked in collaboration with Sichuan University and the Chengdu-city Research Institute of Archaeology, the partnering research institutions in China, and tested variations of research methods through executing a complete enumeration of the cliff images within the targeted areas and then completing a record of their entire contents. The targeted areas were Pujiang and Qionglai, both located in the western part of the Sichuan Basin. The cliff image sites counted eighteen in Pujiang and five in Qionglai, with a grand total of over six hundred grottoes. The basic recording methods used were photography, measurement and description of the Buddhist statues and their attachments including the grotto structures, survey drawings, and rubbings. As a possible replacement for survey drawings with their inevitable shortcomings, the researchers introduced non-contact 3D laser scanning -a pioneering attempt in the genre of archaeological studies of Chinese grottoes- and verified its advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, the researchers presented a number of research papers using the resulting data, discussing the significance of the artistic activities within the area from the perspective of Buddhist art history, thus contributing a meaningful prospect for regional studies in the genre of Chinese Buddhist art history.