A cache of documents found in a high-altitude rock shelter in eastern Tajikistan provides a detailed record of trade between local Sogdian merchants and the Kushan Empire. The birch-bark scrolls, written in an early cursive Sogdian script, list quantities of saffron, musk, and lapis lazuli, confirming that high-altitude mountain passes were used as major commercial arteries.
The ledger also contains references to a previously unknown mountain outpost named 'Varkana', which experts believe served as a critical customs and exchange hub. This finding rewrites the economic map of the ancient Silk Road, proving that trade was not restricted to lowland desert routes but actively utilized the rugged terrain of the High Pamirs to bypass political blockades.