Many caves of the Kizil grottoes are buried beneath rock debris from the collapse of other caves. Cave 1 is a relatively intact cave that was discovered in 1973. Before conducting repair and reinforcement, exploratory work was needed to locate any caves or relics that may have been buried
Beneath it. The intent was to avoid affecting future archaeological excavations by installing permanent structures on top of buried caves.
The authors asked the Railway Building Institute to conduct a geophysical exploration using C-1 microdepth measuring equipment (Zhong 1983). The principal survey sites were the front slopes of the sections between Caves 6 and 27, 52 and 70, and 110 and 120. An overall area survey was performed first by the intermediate gradient method. In regions showing anomalies, three-electrode electrical depth measurements were conducted. Final confirmation was carried out by the five-electrode vertical depth-measurement method. Results indicated that there were caves buried beneath both the first and the second work sections. Excavation was carried out by the Xinjiang Archaeology Research Institute.
After Cave 1 was excavated, the relics beneath it were found to be damaged because protection work had not kept pace with the excavation. In light of this finding, the principles adopted for future excavation were (a) that sections and caves that do not have an effect on the course of the project will not be excavated; and (b) that systematic excavation of the caves that must be excavated will be conducted by specialized archaeologists who will prepare the excavation reports and do preparatory work for the scientific conservation of the relics found.
All the reinforcement and repair projects in the first and second sections of the Kizil grottoes and all other work have essentially been completed except for chemical consolidation, which was limited by engineering considerations. The extent of the work completed to date accounts for only a small portion of the tasks of repair and conservation of the Kizil grottoes. There is certainly much to be learned, and it is the authors' sincere hope that their colleagues in the field of grotto stabilization and consolidation will provide valuable suggestions to ensure the successful completion of the repair and reinforcement of the Kizil grottoes.
Kizil Design Group, Chinese Cultural Relics Institute
1987 Research on the Characteristics of the Destruction of the Kizil Grottoes and Remedial Measures. Internal report. Collected Papers of the Kizil Grottoes Preliminary Survey, Design Specialists' Meeting, September.
Zhong Shihang
The Application of Cartridge-Type Grouting in the Support Protection of Tunnels in Loess. Internal report. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Railway Sciences, Railway Building Institute.
World History
