c. 5th to 7th century CEFound near Gilgit
Some of the oldest surviving manuscripts in South Asia.
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In 1931 villagers near Gilgit uncovered a stupa holding a large collection of Buddhist texts written on birch bark. The manuscripts preserve Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit and show how Buddhist learning travelled through the Kashmir region.
Facts
- They are written on birch bark, the same material used for books in Kashmir for centuries afterwards.
- Most of the collection is now held in the National Archives of India, with other parts in Pakistan and elsewhere.
