Exploring an extinct society through the lens of Habitus-Field theory and the Tocharian text corpus

Abstract

Abstract The paper applies Habitus-Field theory, Multiple Correspondence Analysis, and close reading to study an extinct, ancient civilization through the lense of a likewise extinct language: Tocharian. To do so, we analyze a large corpus of 5276 text fragments written from the 5th to the 10th century C.E. stemming from 25 different regions in the Tarim basin and Taklamakan desert. We include not only text contents but also archaeological features such as find spots and the materiality of the text fragments. Our analysis reveals a distinction between political, spiritual, and economic elites by referencing moral principles stemming from Buddhism. Furthermore, distinctions in terms of gift-giving, being able to control the Caravan trade, and shaping the view on the moral order of society by the act of writing itself were found.