Linguists and computer scientists have used deep-learning models to decipher a series of 6th-century palimpsests found in the Tarim Basin. The documents, written in a unique hybrid of the Sharada and Khotanese scripts, contain previously lost Sanskrit treatises detailing the chemical assaying of precious metals and the identification of mineral ores based on soil coloration and flame tests.
The texts provide a missing link between Vedic metallurgy and later medieval alchemical traditions known as Rasashastra. They detail specific protocols for purifying silver and extracting copper using organic acids derived from Himalayan flora, suggesting a highly developed industrial science focused on material purity and standardization in ancient trade hubs.