Project Representative: Dr. Susan Whitfield
The scattering of Dunhuang manuscripts in different libraries has always been a major obstacle for researchers. While the British Library owns some 28,000 items coming from Dunhuang, most of them Buddhist canonical texts, the total number of Dunhuang texts and fragments kept in world collections is estimated at over 100,000 items. The existing database, designed on the Macintosh using the 4th Dimension relational database, shows how bibliographical information can be combined with graphic images. High resolution images should allow researchers to access the original texts without endangering the fragile papers on which they are recorded. Deciphering of these texts and full annotation of their content will at a later stage be supplemented by scholars belonging to different areas of specialization. Due credit will be given to all those who provide information.
Recent developments: During the past eighteen months, improvements have been made in the functionality and content of the database. Plans for further development include further scanning, linking to other sources and internet availability.