Unique 2,300-Year-Old Human-Sized Intricately Carved Mayan Mask Discovered, Made of Lime-Based Plaster
Archaeologists have found several stunning artifacts associated with the Mayan culture. These artifacts showcase the brilliance of artisans, and also shed light on many of this group's beliefs. In 2017, another item joined the long list of mystifying items unearthed associated with this culture, stated Smithsonian Magazine. The discovery was made in Mexico.
Source: Wikimedia Commons | Photo by Tlatlacateculo)
Archaeologist Jacob Welch spotted a human-sized Maya Mask in 2017, when he was excavating Ucanha, a site on the Yucatán Peninsula near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. He and his team decided to rebury it after discovery, so that the outside elements would not harm it. They went on to collect samples from nearby areas in order to figure out what pigments were used to paint this mask. The following summer, the team returned to the site and removed the mask as well as a staircase for the purpose of refurbishment. The team spent multiple years cleaning the mask's surface, putting the dislodged pieces of the artifact in its original position, and strengthening the weak sections.
Examinations unveiled that the mask was made from stucco, or lime-based plaster. The artifact was dated back to the Late Preclassic period of the Maya empire (around 300 B.C. to 250 A.D.). Researchers believe the mask depicts either a person belonging to the elite class of the then-society, or a god. The person featured on the mask appeared to have a large nose and elongated head. Authorities have not released the artifact's measurement, but from the looks of it, the mask is equal to the size of an average human.
The mask has been identified as a stucco relief, stated Live Science. These kinds of masks were made using bright colors and placed close to staircases featuring pyramidal bases. Similar artifacts have been detected in Acanceh and Izamal. This is the first time such a mask has been unearthed from Ucanha. The site contains several Mayan mounds, which are currently being examined by researchers.
Such masks are rare finds for archaeologists, stated Ancient Origins. Though such artifacts were typical decorations in Mayan constructions, most of these buildings have been irrevocably destroyed. Around four years after the discovery, Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced that the mask had been restored. After the restoration, the team reburied the mask in its original location to ensure long-term preservation. Ucanha remains close to the general public to prevent any form of damage to the artifacts. The site has not been provided legal protection, which keeps the mounds and artifacts vulnerable to looting and damage through natural processes like erosion.
Another stucco mask was uncovered in 2018, stated IFL Science. This one was spotted in the Mayan Palenque Palace in Mexico. The mask featured the likeness of K’inich Janaab ‘Pakal, known as King Pakal the Great. Researchers were stunned to see the similarity between the king's illustration in other places and the mask. "It is noteworthy, unlike other Mayan sites where representations are generic, in Palenque many of the features we see in [the] mural painting or stone carvings are faithful reflections of specific characters," said archaeologist Benito Venegas Duran.