Archaeologists working in the Tarim Basin have unearthed rare 8th-century manuscript fragments containing portions of the Sushruta Samhita translated into a localized Khotanese dialect. The fragments, analyzed by scholars at the University of Oxford, specifically detail sophisticated protocols for ophthalmic surgery, including the removal of cataracts using specialized curved needles. This finding confirms the widespread geographical transmission of advanced Indian medical knowledge along the Silk Road.
The text describes a multi-stage surgical process involving sterile environment preparation and post-operative herbal poultices to prevent infection. Researchers emphasize that the precision of the anatomical descriptions matches the high standards of the original Sanskrit treatises. This discovery highlights the role of Buddhist monastic centers as hubs for scientific and medical education, where secular knowledge like Ayurveda was translated and preserved for diverse linguistic groups.