what is known

Linguists have found that the Kushan alphabet was used for writing before the Bactrian language of Central Iran. It was one of the official languages ​​of the Kushan Empire, which existed in Central Asia and northwestern India from 200 BC to 700 AD. At the height of their power in the 2nd century AD, the Kushans interacted with the Roman Empire. The ancient Tokhara nomads, who first settled on the territory of the Kushan Empire, could speak a language that researchers propose to call “Eteo-Tokhar”.

Many Kushan texts have not stood the test of time, so they have remained a mystery to linguists. Most of the inscriptions of that period were probably written on organic materials – palm leaves or birch bark. Organic materials decompose very quickly, so practically nothing remains of them. However, signs carved into cave walls and painted on ceramics survived all over Central Asia. Since the late 1950s, archaeologists have discovered several dozen inscriptions, most of them on the territory of modern Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Examples of Kushan inscriptions / Photograph: Bobomullo Bobomulloev

The researchers were able to identify the meanings of the words in the Kushan language, thanks to the words of the already known Bactrian language engraved in the same place.

The best option is a parallel text that represents approximately the same meaning, but in two or three different alphabets or languages, called bilingual or trilingual.
– says Svenja Bonmann, a linguist from the University of Cologne in Germany.

Linguists assume that this language is an intermediate stage of development between the Bactrian and Hotanosak languages. Second, it was spoken in ancient Western China.

The discovery helped to understand the meaning of the 25-30 characters used in the Kushan alphabet. The authors hope that re-examination of the known inscriptions will make it possible to decipher what remains and read the entire mysterious inscription.

Examples of bird inscriptions / Photo: Bobomullo Bobomulloev