Ancient gold mask uncovered in China sparks online memes
The artefact is estimated to be made from 84% gold and weighed about 280 grams
A 3,000-year-old ceremonial gold mask, found at an archaeological site in China's Sichuan province, has become an overnight social media sensation in the country.
The artefact, weighed about 280 grams, is estimated to be made from 84% gold.
According to experts, the discovery of one of the 500 Bronze-Age relics could provide new insights on the ancient Shu state, which ruled the area before 316 BC.
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But the mysterious half-faced mask has also spawned a popular meme and tribute videos on social media, BBC reported.
As soon as the latest batch of discoveries was announced on Saturday, users of microblogging platform Weibo started making pictures superimposing the mask on the faces of pop culture figures.
The hashtag "Sanxingdui gold mask photo editing competition" has been viewed nearly 4 million times, and has spawned numerous posts as netizens praised the "stunning" and "beautiful" mask.
Officials at the museum for Sanxingdui - one of the most important archaeological sites in China - soon joined in on the fun.
"Good morning, we've just woken up, apparently everyone's been busy doing some Photoshopping?" the museum said in a recent Weibo post while sharing its own take on the meme.
The museum also released a promotional animated music video starring the mask and other artefacts, while a rap song created by a TV host praising the "intelligence" of the ancient civilisation has gone viral.
It is not the first time a Chinese artefact has attracted the attention of social media users - in August, another relic was found to resemble the pig characters in popular video game Angry Birds.
In addition to the gold mask, archaeologists at Sanxingdui have found bronze pieces, gold foils as well as artefacts made from ivory, jade and silk.
The items were uncovered in six "sacrificial pits", said the National Cultural Heritage Administration, which the Shu civilisation used to offer sacrifices in prayers for prosperity and peace.
The Sanxingdui ruins were discovered by accident by a farmer in 1929. To date, more than 50,000 relics have been unearthed at the site, which is around 60km (37 miles) from the city of Chengdu.
