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A statuette of Buddha has been discovered at an ancient Egyptian site near the Red Sea, revealing the important trade links between the Roman Empire and India, the Ministry of Antiquities said Thursday.
American and Polish archaeologists discovered this statue in Berenice, an ancient port city in the southeast, it said.
The 71-centimeter statuette, dating from the Roman era, depicts Buddha in a robe, devoid of his limbs on the right side, a halo surrounding his head in reference to the rays of the sun, according to the photo released by the ministry.
“Egypt was then at the heart of the trade route linking the Roman Empire to many regions of the ancient world”, said Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities.
Ships arrived notably from India, laden with spices, jewellery, textiles or ivory.
Egypt regularly announces archaeological discoveries, with some experts often seeing it more as a tourist promotion tool than a historical interest.
