MELBOURNE BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — A large piece belonging to an ancient Peruvian death mask washed up on a Melbourne Beach.
The artifact was said to be as thin as paper and archaeologists with Seafarer Exploration Corporation believe it could be from the B.C. years.
Fox13 reported it was discovered that the death mask was shown to contain the metal iridium, after undergoing an X-ray, an element that possibly came from a meteorite.
The piece is theorized to be a part of a funeral headpiece that washed up from the shipwrecked vessel La Concepcion.
The vessel is said to have sunk due to a hurricane on July 31, 1715.
Researches believe there is a possibility that more artifacts are still near the wreckage of the vessel.
Dr. Michael Torres, one of the researchers working on the team, called the death mask piece priceless and wants to donate it to a museum.
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