Archaeologists in the Vidarbha region have discovered an intact 3rd-century BCE scriptorium dating to the Mauryan Empire. The structure, built with standardized fired bricks, served as a center for the production and storage of official documents. Inside, researchers found a collection of rare wooden tablets inscribed in the early Brahmi script, detailing tax collections and local administrative decrees from the reign of Emperor Ashoka.
This is a landmark discovery, as organic writing materials from this period rarely survive in India's humid climate. The tablets were preserved within a lead-lined terracotta chest, which protected them from moisture and decay. The contents of the tablets reveal a highly sophisticated bureaucratic system that managed agricultural output and public infrastructure projects, providing an unprecedented look into the daily governance of the empire.