Mind-Benders of Mesopotamian History
One ruler, two dozen statues — in stone hauled by sea from Oman
Gudea, who ruled the city-state of Lagash around 2144 BCE, is one of the best-represented figures of the ancient world: roughly two dozen or more of his statues survive today, most carved from hard diorite that inscriptions say was brought by sea from Magan, in the region of modern Oman. They have lasted more than 4,000 years.
How we know
Gudea of Lagash, reign c. 2144–2124 BCE (Middle Chronology); ~27 surviving statues (sources: "more than twenty" to "twenty-seven"), most in hard diorite; statue inscriptions record the diorite as brought from Magan (modern Oman). 2144 + 2026 = 4,170 years ago (> 4,000). Wikipedia "Statues of Gudea"; Wikipedia "Gudea".
One of many fact-checked wonders across eight traditions at The Spring of Wisdom.