Researchers at the National Institute of Heritage Science have successfully used non-invasive terahertz spectroscopy to read hidden text within a severely carbonized 8th-century manuscript found in the Kashmir Valley. The manuscript, written in the ancient Sharada script, had been rendered illegible by fire centuries ago, appearing as nothing more than a block of charred organic matter.
The imaging technique revealed a lost treatise on theoretical phytopharmacology, detailing the chemical interactions between endemic Himalayan mosses and metallic oxides for medicinal use. This breakthrough allows for the recovery of vast amounts of information from 'dead' scrolls that were previously considered unsalvageable, significantly expanding the known corpus of ancient Indian scientific literature.