A box containing cowry shells and a cat-like idol was discovered next to human remains in Fuvammulah, while local islanders were digging an area to prepare for tree planting.
“The one-foot long box was filled with cowry shells. The idol looks like a cat or such an animal. We think the box is very old,” Fuvammulah Councillor Hassan Saeed told Haveeru, which published a photo of the find.
Saeed said he believed the box predated the Maldives’ conversion to Islam, and would be delivered to the Province office for further study.
The site near ‘Bodu Haviththa’, an area protected by the Former Centre for Linguistics and Historical Research, was being dug to plant trees “to prevent people from playing football”, said Saeed.