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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Science
Natasha May

Could a Ming dynasty Buddha found near an Australian beach rewrite history?

Infant Buddha
‘World treasure’: the Infant Buddha, believed to be made during China’s Ming dynasty, was found on a remote beach in Western Australia. Photograph: FINN films

In 2018, a pair of Australian film-makers were doing runs with metal detectors in remote Western Australia as they prepared to shoot a documentary about the French exploration of Australia. The film was supposed to feature a hunt for scientific equipment believed to have been left in the area by the Baudin expedition of 1800-1803.

There was no trace of Napoleonic-era exploration, but what they did find was something perhaps even more unusual.

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