2,300-year-old Buddhist elephant statue unearthed in India is one of the oldest known

[Still Waters]

Archaeologists in eastern India have unearthed a statue of an elephant they think was carved about 2,300 years ago, when Buddhism was the main religion in the region . 

The statue is about 3 feet (1 meter) high and carved from rock in the same style as other Buddhist statues of elephants found across the state of Odisha.

Historian Anil Dhir and other members of an archaeological team from the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) unearthed the statue in April at a village on the banks of the Daya River in Odisha's Puri District.

The team found several other buried archaeological relics around the village, including architectural pieces from a Buddhist temple, he added. 

https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/2300-year-old-buddhist-elephant-statue-from-india-is-one-of-the-oldest-known

[quiXilver]

What a great piece. 

Regardless of how long ago, or from what exact time it is, the curves of the head, and particularly the flare of the ear is really impressive work. 

On a side note, Most everytime Buddhism comes up these days, there's a reminder that Buddha was not a Buddhist.