Towards a new approach to the study of the Buddhist rock monasteries of Kuča (Xinjiang)

In this dissertation, the complex of Kizil (Xinjiang, China) and its Eastern Valley [Gudong] are elected as case studies. In order to understand the present academic situation on the topic, an attempt is made to identify and historicise the main tendencies in the research, and to highlight the main methodologies employed. After a brief description of the archaeological explorations that reached Kizil in the twentieth century, the development of the scholarship in both Europe and China is outlined. Secondly, the current main methodologies employed in the analysis of the site are described, in order to assess the present academic position on the topic and to possibly identify new paths.