Taitai'er Caves Plant Remains: Implications for Theravada Monastic Diets in Kucha

Taitai’er Caves is an important part of the Kuča Caves, but the material and cultural life of the monks in the Hinayana Buddhist grottoes during the Sui and Tang dynasties is less explored at present. This paper explores the monks' utilization of grains, fruits and vegetables based on the remains of twelve types of grain crops(wheat, corn, millet, barley), fruit and vegetable crops, and field weeds unearthed from the Taitai’er Caves in Baicheng County, Xinjiang, in conjunction with the Hinayana Buddhist scriptures and unearthed documents. Through analysis, it is found that it adopted a multi—crop farming strategy in Taitai’er Caves. The monks used cheaper barley, millet, and corn as the main food. In addition, apricots, peaches, grapes, walnuts, gourds and other fruits and vegetables are also important dietary supplements in their daily lives.