Zhao Baobo

A.I. Herzen International Art College at Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China

E-mail: zhaobaobo@yandex.ru

Keywords: Chinese archaeology, Silk Road, digital archaeology, Silk Road archaeology, modern technologies.

The article summarizes the main trends in digital archaeology in the study and conservation of sites along the Silk Road routes, particularly in Central Asia, and discusses research conducted in the 2010s–2020s in China and abroad using modern technologies. The author outlines the issues of integrating technological aspects into contemporary research as one of the vectors for acquiring new knowledge, closely integrating traditional and digital methods. It is concluded that this approach in archaeological practice facilitates the reconstruction of lost and deteriorating sites, often entire complexes, and the inclusion of an ecological component in the research. Digital technology combines tools for collecting data including high-precision cameras and lasers, spectral scanning, digital image processing and immersive visualization, as well as portable DNA testing. On this basis, Silk Road archaeology has evolved from a stage of static preservation and accumulation of knowledge to the dynamic use of existing data, providing the scientific community with new research perspectives and tools for information exchange.

DOI: 10.7868/S3034577426020146