Rare Ancient Peruvian Death Mask Found Off Florida Coast

The mask is made mainly of copper with traces of gold, silver and iridium — a material found in meteorites.

Published 24 January 2019

The mask is made mainly of copper, although it also contains traces of gold, silver and iridium — a material which is found in meteorites.


An ancient Peruvian death mask was found on Melbourne Beach, off the coast of Florida in the United States, ex-MIT professor and Army Ranger Mike Torres said, adding that the artifact is believed to be about 10,000-12,000 years old.

The yet-to-be-officially-dated metal mask was smelted by an ancient South American civilization long before European contact, Torres stated, explaining that it would be considered an early example of human metalworking.

"They had to, at one point, figure out blast furnaces," he said. "It took serious thought to smelt this... That changes things, and may change the way we perceive ancient Peruvian cultures."

The mask is made mainly of copper, although it also contains traces of gold, silver and iridium — a material which is found in meteorites.

More:
https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Rare-Ancient-Peruvian-Death-Mask-Found-Off-Florida-Coast-20190124-0003.html

Anthropology:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/12294424