Scientists in Shaanxi Province have announced the discovery of the oldest Buddha statues ever found in China.
The two statues were excavated from the tomb of a family in Shaanxi Province (northwest China) and date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD). These statues are approximately 200 years older than the previously discovered oldest Buddha statue in China, which dates back to the Sixteen Kingdoms period (304-489 AD).
According to the announcement from the scientists, one of the newly excavated statues is a representation of Siddhartha Gautama, measuring 10.5 cm in height and 4.7 cm in base diameter, made from a mixture of bronze, tin, and lead.
One of the two newly excavated statues in Shaanxi Province. (Photo: Xinhua)
The other statue stands 15.8 cm tall, with a base diameter of 6.4 cm, and represents the Five Wisdom Buddhas, symbolizing the five core qualities of Buddhism.
Through metal analysis, scientists believe that the statues were locally produced, indicating that Buddhism had become widespread in Shaanxi during the Eastern Han period.
Statue representing the Five Wisdom Buddhas. (Photo: Xinhua).
Li Ming, a researcher at the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Institute and the leader of the excavation project, stated that these burial sites belonged to royal families or high-ranking officials of the ancient local society.
Scientists have noted that the discovery of these statues will play a crucial role in studying the introduction of Buddhism into China.
The excavation began in June 2020 and is still ongoing. To date, Chinese scientists have uncovered 16,000 artifacts and excavated 3,648 tombs.
