Scholars at the International Institute for Heritage Science have successfully deciphered a series of 7th-century Kharosthi-Sanskrit palimpsests recovered from the Karakoram range. The texts contain previously unknown theoretical frameworks regarding acoustic echo-cancellation, specifically detailing how the interior surfaces of monastic caves were engineered to control sound resonance for meditative chanting.
The manuscripts describe the use of varied rock textures and geometric wall depressions to disrupt standing waves, a technique the text refers to as Shabda-Shodhana or 'sound purification.' This discovery provides the first written evidence of a systematic acoustic engineering tradition in ancient India that used mathematical ratios to manipulate environmental soundscapes.