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Ancient History

10 Surprising Secrets of the Ancient Silk Road Revealed

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8. Secret Written Scripts and Languages

central asian buddhist monks
A blue-eyed Central Asian monk teaching an East-Asian monk, Bezeklik, Turfan, eastern Tarim Basin, China, 9th century; the monk on the right is possibly Tocharian,[149] although more likely Sogdian. Source: Wikipedia

The Silk Road became a linguistic crossroads, where scripts like Sogdian and Bactrian thrived and facilitated trade and diplomacy. Many of these languages, now extinct, served as vital communication tools across different cultures. Intriguingly, some scripts were encrypted to safeguard sensitive information and secrets. Modern scholars continue to unravel these mysterious writings, revealing new insights into Silk Road societies. For an in-depth look at these linguistic puzzles, visit The Guardian.

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