Oldest Buddhist shrine found in Nepal

 In 2013 a timber structure was excavated in Lumbini, Nepal. It may be the oldest Buddhist shrine ever found, located at what is said to be the Buddha’s birthplace and dated to the 6th C. BCE. “This is one of those rare occasions when belief, tradition, archaeology, and science actually come together,” said lead study author Robin Coningham, who is shown below at the site.  The Buddha was represented symbolically (a tree, throne, and footprint were some of the motifs used) until the 2nd – 3rd centuries CE when, under the Kushan Empire, he was first represented in human form. 

CNN article on the discovery