Feature Secrets of the Silk Road The discovery of a cave full of manuscripts on the edge of the Gobi Desert reveals the details of everyday life on the Silk Road. Xin Wen | Published in History Today Volume 73 Issue 2 February 2023 Frontispiece to the earliest complete block printed ‘book’, the Chinese translation of the Buddhist text the Diamond Sutra, AD 868, found in the Dunhuang caves in 1907. British Library/Bridgeman Images. To continue reading this article you will need to purchase access to the online archive. Buy Online Access Buy Print & Archive Subscription If you have already purchased access, or are a print & archive subscriber, please ensure you are logged in. Please email digital@historytoday.com if you have any problems.