ODISHA, INDIA—Live Science reports that an elephant statue thought to date to the third century B.C. has been unearthed on the banks of the Daya River in eastern India by researchers from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Team member Anil Dhir explained that the floodplain of the Daya River is rich in artifacts related to Buddhism, which flourished in the area from the third century B.C. into the second century A.D. This elephant sculpture was found near a pillar of a reddish clay material called laterite and other stone blocks. Architectural fragments of a Buddhist temple have also been uncovered in the area, he added. Dhir also said that a similar elephant statue dated to between 272 and 231 B.C. was found at Dhauli, an ancient center of Buddhism, which is located about 12 miles upstream. To read about the discovery of a Buddhist monastery in Odisha, go to "Early Buddhism in India."
