Author Affiliation: 1. Jacob Dalton, Yale University, USA 2. Tom Davis, University of Birmingham, UK 3. Sam van Schaik, British Library, UK
摘要
This article presents a new paleographic approach to the Tibetan manuscripts from Dunhuang. By adapting the techniques of forensic handwriting analysis to the Tibetan alphabet, we can identify groups of manuscripts written in the same hand. After introducing this new approach, the present paper applies it to the works of a single scribe, taken as an initial example. Once this particular group of manuscripts has been identified, a range of further insights into this person emerge – his many connections to the kingdom of Khotan, his unique writing style, and his interest in the external ritual practices relating to water and fire offerings, stūpas, rosaries, and the like. This new approach promises to alter significantly our understanding of the Tibetan Dunhuang documents. No longer are we confronted with a mass of undigested material; now we can begin to date and ascribe names to whole swathes of the collection.
目次
1. An Introduction to Forensic Handwriting Techniques 2. The Adaptation of Forensic Techniques to the Tibetan Script 3.Writing Practices around Dunhuang 4. An Example Scribe: Supporting Internal Evidence 5.Speculative Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Notes
