3,000-year-old golden mask discovered in China: it guarded the soul

The artifact is made of metal, which was almost never used in these parts.

The funeral mask, created more than three thousand years ago, was discovered by Chinese archaeologists in an ancient tomb in Zhengzhou. This is one of the oldest pieces of gold ever found in central China.

The length of the artifact is about 20 centimeters, the width is 14.5 cm, and the weight is 40 grams. Judging by the size, the mask was made for the face of an adult. Archaeologists suggest that the tomb in which the mask was found belonged to a wealthy nobleman. Gold among the ancient Chinese symbolized the incorruptibility of the body of the deceased and, according to popular beliefs, the mask was supposed to keep his spirit intact.

According to archaeologists, the aforementioned tomb in Zhengzhou is of great importance for the study of the rituals of the ancient Shang dynasty and the history of the entire Chinese civilization. Shang is the first Chinese dynasty to rule the country (from 1600 to 1046 BC).

In addition to the unique mask, archeology has discovered more than two hundred other ancient artifacts in the tomb, such as jade and bronze daggers, axes, smoking pipes, wine vessels and coins made from shells.

By the way, masks in this area were usually made not of gold, but of bronze and jade. This means that the local people had connections with other Chinese states, where gold, unlike Zhengzhou, was widely distributed.

Local archaeologist Ruiliang Liu explains that gold and bronze were widely used by pastoral steppe cultures located in northwestern China, Central Asia and Mongolia. However, in those parts where the Shang dynasty ruled, gold was also found – in the ancient city of Panlongchen (not far from the modern city of Wuhan), however, in small quantities.

Another intriguing question: why did the deceased want to be buried in a mask of this metal, while all the important persons in his dynasty chose bronze or jade?

Alas, it would be easier for archaeologists to deal with this topic if they had more ancient finds from the Shang Dynasty. However, many of the artifacts preserved in this area are, alas, inaccessible to them. The fact is that, according to scientists, most of the ancient objects are under the modern city of Zhengzhou.