“After three decades of pioneering research, the IDP launches a new and improved website” – British Library Asian and African studies blog

The International Dunhuang Programme (IDP) has launched a new website, where you can view over 150,000 Central and Eastern Asian collection items and explore the history and cultures of the Silk Roads through new and expanded learning resources. The launch also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the IDP.

International Dunhuang Programme

Founded in 1994, the International Dunhuang Programme (IDP) is a pioneering international collaboration that brings together online collections from the Eastern Silk Roads and promotes the understanding of the history and culture of the region. 

As I’ve mentioned before in updates on my Indo-European thought project (here and here), the finds of the Dunhuang caves were crucial for the early career of Emile Benveniste, who worked on Sogdian manuscripts brought back to Paris by Paul Pelliot, and those taken to London by Aurel Stein (on whom, see here). The plunder of the caves by European explorers meant that they ended up in collections across the world. The IDP is a virtual response, grouping material from these different places, and showcases genuine international and interdisciplinary collaboration.