Linguists and computer scientists have successfully utilized a new AI-driven neural decipherment model to translate 6th-century fragments of a bilingual manuscript written in Brahmi and Tocharian B. The fragments, recovered from the Tarim Basin, detail a complex system of diplomatic protocols and maritime insurance for overland Silk Road caravans, revealing a high level of economic integration between ancient Indian kingdoms and Central Asian city-states.
The translated text provides unprecedented insights into the legal frameworks of the era, including specific clauses for the protection of Sanskrit scholars and Buddhist artifacts during transit. This discovery marks a significant milestone in understanding the socio-political ties that bound the ancient world through shared linguistic and legal standards across the Eurasian continent.