Researchers from the University of Cologne have made a significant stride in the study of the Kushan script, revealing sixty percent of the writing preserved from the Kushan Empire, a historic civilization once centered in Central Asia. The team published their findings in a scholarly journal linked to the Transactions of the Philological Society, underscoring a major advance in our understanding of Kushan inscriptions and language.
The Kushan kingdom emerged in antiquity as a prominent power spanning what is now parts of modern Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. At its peak, roughly from 105 to 250 CE, the Kushan realm fostered diplomacy and cultural exchange with major neighbors, including Rome, Persia, and the Chinese kingdoms. This expansive network helped shape trade routes, religious interactions, and artistic expressions across a broad swath of Eurasia.
Following the empire’s decline, countless inscriptions remained, tantalizing researchers with the puzzle of their meanings. A turning point arrived in 2022 when a bilingual inscription was discovered in the Almosi Gorge in the northwestern region of Tajikistan. That artifact provided an important key to unlocking the Kushan script, prompting scholars to revisit their analytical methods and apply fresh approaches to the decipherment effort.
Experts emphasize that the successful decipherment of Kushan writings marks a new chapter in the study of Central Asian history and culture. It offers deeper insights into the linguistic landscape of the region, the administrative practices of the Kushan state, and the everyday life of its communities, as reflected in inscriptions and inscriptions-like records. The progress also enriches comparative studies of ancient scripts, highlighting how multilingual contexts can illuminate the syntax, numerals, and vocabulary that once circulated on trade routes and in temple complexes.
Earlier researchers had proposed theories about technological shifts during the Stone Age, suggesting origins for early innovations and the diffusion of tools and techniques across neighboring cultures. The latest findings concerning the Kushan script complement that broader narrative, connecting linguistic decipherment with broader questions about cultural exchange, material culture, and political history in early Central Asia.