Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(162,406 posts)
Mon Jan 25, 2021, 12:36 PM Jan 2021

Unique Mayan mask found in Mexico


By Patrick Pester - Staff Writer 4 hours ago

The mask has been reburied for its own protection.



The stucco mask of Ucanha being worked on by archaeologists
(Image: © INAH)

A giant Mayan mask as tall as a person has been revealed at an archaeological site in the Mexican state of Yucatán.

The mask, which depicts the face of an unknown deity or elite person, was sculpted from the building material stucco and dates back to a period in Maya history known as the Late Preclassic (about 300 B.C. — A.D. 250), according to the news outlet Novedades Yucatán.

The discovery was made in 2017 at the archaeological site of Ucanha, near the modern-day city of Motul, and since then researchers with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have worked painstakingly to restore it.

Stucco masks like this one "represent the faces of individuals with particular features that can be associated with deities or with characters of prominent social status," INAH said in a statement.

More:
https://www.livescience.com/mayan-mask-sculpture-revealed.html?utm_source=notification
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»Anthropology»Unique Mayan mask found i...