Standing on the floor of the cave, one could hardly ignore the special patterns on the walls and steles. Are these patterns just the traces of excavation or intended decoration? If it if designed for the ornamental purpose, what is the underlying meaning of these patterns?

A closer look at these patterns shows that there are two types of grains: level and arched. Each is tidily carved with an interval of about 60 centimeters, as if it were produced by machine. Experienced quarrymen think that the arched grains are probably formed in the process of excavation, but the level grain is very rare, especially when there are so many of this type. Therefore, some argue that level grains are intended decoration by the ancient people. The overall design of the grains inside the cave is also very harmonious and fluent, just like that of the flowing water. What's more interesting is that the grains on the ancient bronze wares stored in the local museum largely resemble with the possible decoration in the stone cave. Does this fact indicate that these grains were once a very trendy ornamental pattern some time long ago?

But to find no other form of patterns in such a big area of carved stones is really surprising. Only on the north wall of one cave, there is a group of pictures like cliff painting, but the lines are too abstract and simple, making it hard to distinct what the pictures are all about.

According to Cao Dingyun, an expert in ancient writing, the cliff painting features the Chinese character "moon". The picture probably reflects a historical episode in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), then the caves should be built in the ancient times during or after the period. But at a time of low technological level, how did the ancient people actually dig out the stones? For a vertical cave, the most obvious problem is how the stone stocks are carried out. The only link between the cave and the outside world is a patch of stairs. But the slope is very steep, and each stair is 60 centimeters from the other.

One of the stones left in the No.4 Cave is 240 kg, and then it is hard to imagine how the ancient people managed to carry them out. Some think that the long distance between the stairs is for the convenience of installing the mechanical equipment. These people have few facts to backup their ideas: the top stair is four meters from the mouth of the No.4 cave, and this distance makes it impossible for human to carry out the stones. However, this idea still lacks the actual discovery to attest, making it no more than a supposition.

(Author: Jeff)

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