Historical discovery revives wild theories of an alien civilisation in ancient China, but experts say no way
- The artefact’s wide facial features have caused outlandish speculation, but experts refute the theory that aliens were the original owners
- Archaeologists have said the suggestion of extraterrestrials is very far-fetched and not supported by any available evidence
A major discovery of a gold mask alongside a treasure trove of artefacts at a Bronze Age site in China has generated online debate about whether there were once aliens in China thousands of years ago.
The mask is similar to previous discoveries of bronze human statues, however, the inhuman and foreign features of the finds have triggered speculation they may belong to a race of aliens.
In responses collected by state broadcaster CCTV, some speculated that the earlier bronze face masks had more in common with characters from the film Avatar than with Chinese people.
“Does that mean Sanxindui belongs to an alien civilisation?” queried one.
However, some just asked if perhaps the finds came from another civilisation, such as one in the Middle East.
The Director of the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Wang Wei, was quick to shut down the alien theories.