The Pashupati Seal
Frequently cited as proof that Shiva worship and yoga are over four thousand years old. The 'proto-Shiva' identification is one archaeologist's 1931 reading of an undeciphered script, and it has been directly contested by other scholars since 1975 — the seal is real, the identification is not settled.
John Marshall's 1931 'proto-Shiva' identification, excavated at Mohenjo-daro (1928–29); Doris Srinivasan's rejection of the identification from 1975
A small carved seal from the Indus Valley civilisation, showing a seated horned figure often cited as the earliest image of the god Shiva.