Incredible 2,000-year-old stone mask has people making Hollywood link

THE amazing discovery of a 2000-year-old mask at the base of a Pyramid in Mexico has sparked ties to an iconic 90s Hollywood movie.

Archaeologists unearthed the treasure at the Pyramid of the Sun while trawling through a tunnel built almost 100 years ago.

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It was there in the bedrock of one of Mexico’s most impressive monuments that researchers recovered the green serpentine face covering.

One like it had never been found before in the region – and was thought to have been part of a ritual by those who once lived there.

Some of the academics working on the project, from Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History, thought it might have been a portrait because of how lifelike it was.

Resurfaced images from the 2011 excursion have now prompted comparisons on Reddit by those who are reminded of a hit comedy movie starring Jim Carrey.

The Mask – which debuted in 1994 – saw him don a green face covering which turned him into a superhero.

Quoting iconic lines from the film, people flocked to the social media site to have their say.

One wrote: “Uh oh, here we go again. DO NOT PUT THAT ON YOUR FACE!!!”

Another wrote: “Sssmokin’!”, while someone added: “Jim Carrey has entered the chat.”

The Mask also starred Cameron Diaz, and saw mind-bending scenes of Carrey’s green mouth in all sorts of contorted positions.

The Pyramid of the Sun, in southern Mexico, is part of a famous archaeological site – Teotihuacan.

Just north east of Mexico City, the site dates back to about 100 BC.

It stood as a city for hundreds of years, named by the Aztecs, before residents are believed to have built the pyramid in around 100 AD.

The mask was uncovered as researches ploughed through a tunnel built by archaeologists in the 1930s.

They also unearthed shards of clay pottery, animal bones and three serpentine human figurines.

At its peak, Teotihuacan was bustling with 200,000 people.

Verónica Ortega, director of the Integral Conservation Project for the Plaza of the Moon, said of the discovery: “These large offering complexes constitute the sacred heart of the city of Teotihuacán, the reason why everyone saw it as the mecca of the civilization.

“What can be found inside them will help unravel the relationship this ancient metropolis had with other regions of Mesoamerica.”

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