石窟寺考古是中国考古学不可或缺的重要分支学科。2021年8月,国家文物局发布《中国石窟寺考古中长期计划（2021—2035年）》,标志着我国石窟寺考古研究工作进入到了一个新的阶段。本文从佛教考古学、石窟寺考古和未来考古工作三个大的方面,对佛教考古学的内涵、对象、方法,石窟寺考古的正规记录、崖面遗迹与窟前遗址的清理、考古报告的编写,以及在实践层面需要注意和解决的问题等作了初步探讨,希冀能对当前和今后我国石窟寺考古工作有所裨益。

Cave temple archaeology is an essential branch of Chinese archaeology. In August 2021, the National Cultural Heritage Administration released the “Medium and Long Term Plan for Archaeology of Cave Temples in China (2021—2035)”, which signifies a new phase in China's archaeological research on cave temples. From aspects of Buddhist archaeology, cave temple archaeology and future archaeological work, a preliminary discussion that may benefit the present and future archaeological work of cave temples in China is made in this paper about the connotation, object, and method of Buddhist archaeology, and the normative recording of cave temple archaeology, the cleaning procedures for relics on cliff surface and ruins at cave entrance, the compiling of archaeological reports, and those practical issues demanding attention and solution.