The rows of hearths were discovered at Atranjikhera and at Ahichchhtra both of which are in western Uttar Pradesh. The excavations show that these hearths were meant for communal feeding or for cooking the food of large families.
Lion was one of the motifs used in Ashokan pillars. Lion is a solar symbol and it also represents the Buddha, as he is referred to as Sakyasimha which also means a lion among the Sakyas.