🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Mati Temple Grottoes — Horse's Hoof Temple East Peak
Sixteen Kingdoms Northern Liang to Qing (400 CE–1910) · Hexi Corridor Buddhist (Tibetan, Yugur, Sogdian trader, Han)
Hexi 70 caves 400–1200 with Thirty-Three Heavens hollow-mountain labyrinth and horse hoof print on Qilian 2600 m.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Xiangtangshan Northern Grottoes — Fengfeng North Cave
Northern Dynasties (Northern Qi imperial) · Northern Qi Imperial Buddhist (Ye capital Gao clan)
Qi royal 9-cave north cluster 550–577 North Cave Buddha with 1909 Freer looting and 3D reunion.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Longmen West Hillside Grottoes — Luoyang Yi River West Cliffs
Northern Wei to Song · Northern Wei, Sui, Tang cosmopolitan
Luoyang west bank core with Guyang 493 earliest cave 800 inscriptions and Binyang pagoda, Northern Wei–Tang.
🇮🇹 Italy · Rock-cut
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge
Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) · Sicel Culture
Pantalica Anaktoron South Necropolis Ridge in Sicily, Syracuse, Italy is a Late Bronze Age (1300-800 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Sicel Culture.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tiantangshan (Weizi Mountain) Grottoes — Quyang Hebei
Northern Dynasties to Tang (Northern Qi 550–577 peak) · North China Buddhist imperial patronage (Qi and Tang)
Quyang white-marble mountain 12 caves 550–750 CE South Cave Vairocana, quarry-monastery.
🇨🇳 China · Temple complex
Bingling Temple South Cave 169
Sixteen Kingdoms to Tang · Western Qin to Tang Buddhist (Bingling synthesis)
South partition of monumental natural Cave 169 with 384 Sui–Tang niches and Tang donor cartouche.
🇹🇷 Turkey · Ancient city
Sagalassos
Hellenistic to Early Byzantine (classical antiquity to c.640 CE earthquake) · Pisidian → Hellenistic → Roman Imperial → Byzantine
Pisidian highland Roman city at 1,600 m with restored Antonine Nymphaeum and cliff theatre.
🇲🇱 Mali · Temple complex
Northern Djenné-Jeno Village Central — Djenné-Jeno (57-32)
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Northern Djenné-Jeno Village Central — Djenné-Jeno (57-32) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Medieval (regional) temple complex of the Medieval tradition, built c.
🇪🇹 Ethiopia · Tomb
Eastern Lalibela Settlement Central — Lalibela (59-29)
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Eastern Lalibela Settlement Central — Lalibela (59-29) at Lalibela, Ethiopia is a Chalcolithic (regional) tomb of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇯🇴 Jordan · Rock-cut
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) — Painted Biclinium
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid) — Painted Biclinium in Ma'an, Siq al-Barid, Jordan is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tr…
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Longmen — Binyang Central Cave North Wall
Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) · Rock-cut tradition
Longmen — Binyang Central Cave North Wall in Henan, Luoyang, Longmen, China is a Bronze to Iron Age (2000 BCE–300 CE) rock_cut attributed to Rock-cut tradi…
🇹🇷 Turkey · Rock-cut
Rock-Cut Tombs of Bryn Thornby
Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) · Nazca
Rock-Cut Tombs of Bryn Thornby in Central Anatolia, Turkey is a Nazca (100 BCE–800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Nazca culture.
🇮🇳 India · Temple complex
Kanheri Caves
Satavahana to Rashtrakuta 100 BCE–950 CE · Buddhist Hinayana → Mahayana → Vajrayana
Largest Buddhist cave-university in western India with 109 basalt caves spanning 1st c. BCE–10th c.
🇬🇷 Greece · Rock-cut
Moss Cairn Rock-Cut Complex
Moche (100–800 CE) · Moche
Moss Cairn Rock-Cut Complex in Thessaly, Greece is a Moche (100–800 CE) rock_cut attributed to Moche culture.
🇮🇷 Iran · Rock art
Kul-e Farah
Elamite to Parthian (c.1000 BCE–200 CE; peak Neo-Elamite 800–600 BCE) · Neo-Elamite → Parthian ( Elymais )
Kul-e Farah is a gorge with 6 Elamite rock reliefs (Kul-e Farah I–VI, c.800–600 BCE) — massive 5-m panels of king Hanni, processions (200+ figures), musicians a...
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Kizil Central Cave — Kuqa Muzat River Diamond Pattern Sanctuary
Eastern Han to Tang (200 – 800 CE) · Tocharian Buddhist Kucha with Gandhara influence
Central 30–80 of 339 Kizil caves with 3.2 m diamond-vault Buddha of Tocharian Kucha 3rd–8th c.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Dazu Rock Carvings
Tang to Southern Song ~650–1252 CE · Chinese esoteric Buddhist (Tang–Song)
50,000 Tantric cliff sculptures — China's last Buddhist rock-cut synthesis at Baoding.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Tianlongshan Cave 8 — Manshan Pavilion Buddha Sanctuary
Eastern Wei to Tang (534 – 750 CE) · Buddhist Northern dynasties under Gao Qi and Tang
Cave 8 Manshan Buddha 3.6 m of Northern Qi–Tang on western slope.
🇿🇦 South Africa · Rock-cut
Anthropomorph Rock Engraving East
Late Neolithic (4000–3000 BCE) · Medieval
Anthropomorph Rock Engraving East in Cederberg, South Africa is a Late Neolithic (4000–3000 BCE) rock_cut attributed to Medieval culture.
🇮🇳 India · Rock-cut
Elephanta Caves
Late Gupta to Early Chalukya 5th–8th century CE · Hindu (Shaiva) and Buddhist under Kalachuri/Chalukya patronage
Rock-cut Shaiva cave complex on Elephanta Island with colossal Trimurti sculpture, 5th–8th c. CE.
🇺🇸 United States · Rock-cut
Stepwell Reservoir West
Early Medieval (500–1000 CE) · Iron Age
Stepwell Reservoir West in Southwest, United States is a Early Medieval (500–1000 CE) rock_cut attributed to Iron Age culture.
🇨🇳 China · Rock-cut
Longmen Binyang Central Cave — Mt Long Gate Middle Grotto Sanctuary
Northern Wei to Tang (493 – 750 CE) · Buddhist imperial Luoyang under Empress Dowager Hu
Central Binyang 11 m Buddha of Northern Wei Emperor Xuanwu at Yi Gorge.