About the Kyoto Afghanistan Archive

The Kyoto University Scientific Mission to Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, led by Prof. S. Mizuno has since 1959 continued local investigations, and whenever they were at Bāmiyān they carried out photographic work. Full-scaled research was postponed, but as a preparatory step caves were examined in other parts of Afghanistan. Thus Haibak, Fīl Khāna, Basawāl, Hadda and other cave sites were nearly all in operations of the Kyoto University Group.

Next to go from Japan was the Nagoya University Group, which went twice in 1964 and 1969, to do site work in the Bāmiyān caves. Their results are published by Nagoya University with surveys of many caves. The discovery of murals in the N cave and elsewhere is especially noteworthy. In 1970, the Kyoto University Team, reorganized as the Kyoto University Central Asian Scientific Mission exchanged agreements for archaeological research with the Afghan Government. These ratified a monopoly of excavation at Tapa Skandar and research in Bāmiyān.

In Bāmiyān, we began with the very basic task of numbering the caves, but it was an extremely difficult one. First it was necessary to determine whether all the holes in the cliff were caves or not. These holes were not only cave entrances, they could be windows to let in light, or slits along the passageway. Again there were natural cavities. Consequently, it was necessary physically to enter into every cave, and for those caves that were high up in the cliff, a ladder of some sort was indispensable. For this purpose pipe scaffolding used in building construction had been transported from Japan, and by degrees we were able to get into the openings high up in the cliff. Even then, there were a dozen caves that could not be reached by scaffolding, and had to be left.

The next problem was that the caves were not necessarily aligned in rows. At Bāmiyān there are the two large standing Buddha figures, one on the west and one on the east. Between them, almost equally spaced, are three middle-sized niches for seated Buddhas, and the caves are crowded together in the lower part of the cliff. It is true that there appears to be a systematic arrangement, but the caves are not aligned horizontally. It is not sufficient to number the caves one by one. Several caves can form a group. For instance, a venerated sculpture could be placed m a chapel or a mortuary, in the assembly hall where the Law was preached, or in the monks' living quarters, where the daily tasks were performed. From the lay-out of the caves, we believe they formed groups, there were two types, one where the caves were alongside each other, and the other where one cave was above the other. I have been in Dunhuang, and the caves are aligned regularly there. Three or four stories are hollowed out, and as each story is approximately the same height, neighbouring caves can communicate freely along wooden verandas constructed in front of the caves. Thus we think that caves were connected laterally there. The Dunhuang numbering goes from bottom right-hand corner along to the left, then on the next floor up from the left to the right, and on the third floor from the right to the left, and so on. But m Bāmiyān, the groups can be connected laterally and vertically as well. In the interior of the great cave-cliff, there are stairways that make a connection with higher and lower caves. Examples are the stairway between J caves and K caves, which form a group, and between the upper and the lower gangway in front of the caves, the stair would be a secret connection. Thus one could call the vertical connection a distinctive feature of the Bāmiyān caves. Whereas in Dunhuang the caves were originally connected horizontally, the Bāmiyān caves were both laterally and vertically connected.

This was very troublesome when the numbers were allotted. We thought we would give sequent numbers as related caves were discovered, but caves connected laterally and vertically became mixed up, and the Dunhuang system of going horizontally would not work. Sometimes there would be a row of caves, but a connection from above or below would break the sequence. So the horizontal sequencing would not be applicable. Therefore, in each particular area we numbered from bottom to top, and moving to the next area, applied the principle over again. That is why the horizontal numbering like Dunhang had to be given up.

To enter the numbers for the whole complex, we needed an exact survey of the whole area. For this we took a photographic survey by stereo camera. The Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties sent its branch officer Yoshiyuki Ushikawa to take charge of this, and the ordnance map was over 5 m long. A group led by Akira Miyaji did the numbering, reaching up to cave 751. Only then could the survey of the individual caves and the research on their murals be carried out. Also a group from Seijo University Tokyo led by Professor Osamu Takata came twice, m 1975 and 1977, to do research in art history.