A whimsical 6000-year-old prehistoric clay mask that depicts an unusual non-human face was found in the ancient salt mines at Provadia-Solnitsata in northeastern Bulgaria during excavation. The mask depicting an unknown mythical creature is well-preserved. It is made of clay. Researchers believe that it was made in the 5th millennium BC.
According to archaeologists, Provadia-Solnitsata was inhabited by some of the world’s first rock salt miners in the Neolithic era. Over the past few years, many finds have been unearthed in the area, including golden artifacts.
According to the head of the archaeological expedition, Prof. Vasil Nikolov, the artifact was found at the site of the prehistoric settlement, which is the oldest salt production center in Europe, dating back to between 5500 and 4200 BC.
The small clay mask is triangular in shape with large eyes and stylized ears. There are two holes at the end of the upper side, through which a thread was probably inserted in order to wear it around the neck as a decoration or amulet. But it is possible that this item could be hanging on the wall or even being a vessel lid that could be raised and lowered with a string.
Many people compared the mask with an alien in a spacesuit (as shown in many sci-fiction films) due to its huge eyes.
“Many are likening it [the mask or figurine] to… an alien in a space suit,” says jokingly a report on the discovery by the Bulgarian National Radio.
Since the artifact was found at the site of one of the oldest settlements in Europe, it was most likely created during the late Eneolithic period, around 4000 BC.
According to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Institute of Archaeology, Nikolov and his research team also excavated six human skulls, including children while exploring the bottom of a salt evaporation pool.
The team also said:
“Staring into them [the eyes of the prehistoric mask], one senses power, superiority, wisdom. It is curious that when this image is viewed from a different angle, one notices traces from different emotions.”
Provadia-Solnitsata, with an area of approximately 13 hectares, is the most ancient site of salt production in the world. According to the Open Edition Journals, the site has a circular pit with a diameter of 15 km and a depth of 4 km, from where a huge amount of salt is pulled up with extreme force. The ancient salt miners at this site used to trade salt to other cultures, as far away as the southern Balkan Mountains during the Middle and Late Chalcolithic (4700‑4200 BC).
In 2016, several golden artifacts were found in this prehistoric Salt Pit Town, and in 2015, they discovered 6300-year-old golden jewelry.
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that the earth was visited by extraterrestrial beings in the past, and a large number of such findings suggest that aliens have been accompanying civilizations since at least the Stone Age.
