Thread by @MumukshuSavitri

1/n
A bronze statue of an Indian dancer in a spiritual trance datied to 100 BCE has been discovered in the Ob River in SW Siberia. The man wears a dhoti, kurta & angavastram. Both arms of the statue have been broken off not far from the shoulder.

2/n
His arms are outstretched and reaching skyward. He is leaning right but the head is tilted down and to the left, consistent with the dancer making a counter-clockwise twirling movement of the type associated with certain ecstatic dances.

3/n
The figurine may be depicting an ancient priest, seeking to experience an altered state of consciousness. It was possibly constructed as an attachment to a larger and more elaborate object, like a circular ritual table with multiple dancers spinning and whirling around.

4/n
The statue probably reached Siberia through the Silk Road which was a hub for trade and exchange in Asia.
It shows that Indian goods were in international demand even 2100 years ago as ritual goods for religious ceremonies in particular.

Src: ancient-origins.net/news-history-a…