A collaborative study between the National Institute of Epigraphy and AI research labs has led to the decipherment of 7th-century Late-Brahmi manuscript fragments recovered from a remote Silk Road outpost. The texts comprise a previously unknown Sanskrit treatise dedicated to the biological classification and chemical properties of xerophytic lichens found in high-altitude arid environments.
Researchers used machine learning algorithms to correlate the botanical descriptions in the text with surviving lichen species in the Taklamakan Desert. The findings suggest that ancient scholars possessed a sophisticated understanding of biochemical extraction for the purpose of creating long-lasting natural dyes and pigments for temple murals and textile trade.