An international team of linguists and computer scientists has successfully used a custom Deep-Learning neural network to decipher a cache of 7th-century Proto-Sharada palimpsests recovered from a mountain pass near the Khyber region. The hidden layers of text, which were obscured by later medieval religious writings, have been identified as lost treatises on "Arthavyavastha" or political economy. These documents detail complex systems of taxation, trade-route security, and the management of strategic mineral resources during the transition between the Gupta and Harsha empires.
The decipherment reveals a highly organized administrative framework that facilitated trans-continental trade between the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The text also includes a series of ethical guidelines for merchant guilds and state-regulated markets, providing a rare glimpse into the secular governance and economic theory of ancient India. This discovery is expected to redefine the historical understanding of political structures and economic integration in the late classical period, highlighting a sophisticated approach to early globalism.