Two filmmakers detected a rare Ming Dynasty Buddha in Australia, which could “rewrite history.” Some thought it an elaborate hoax, but experts have now verified the honesty of the finders.

Back in 2018, a documentary about the French exploration of Australia was being planned by two filmmakers. Using metal detectors in remote Western Australia, the team discovered a Buddha statue, which BBC’s Antiques Roadshow recently confirmed as authentic.

Now the question is being asked if the 15th-century statue was really left behind by Chinese explorers?

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According to BBC antiques experts the 15 centimeter (5.9 inch)-tall bronze  Buddha figure, that weighs just over 1kg (2.2 lbs), was made in  China hundreds of years ago. The two filmmakers, Leon Deschamps and Shayne Thomson, are currently trying to figure out how the figurine got to the roadside in Shark Bay, a World Heritage Site in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Read more: Ancient Origins