Tsunami Might Have Hit Ancient Indian Temple

The ruins of an ancient temple built by a long-vanished kingdom in southern India are being excavated by archeologists who said Wednesday that the Hindu sanctum may have been destroyed centuries ago by a tsunami.

The temple appears to have been built between 1,900 and 2,200 years ago just north of Mahabalipuram, a port town in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Excavations this month by state archeologists show that damage was more severe on the side of the temple facing the sea, and that the sand and shell deposits at the structure were not normally found so far inland.