Clay Figure Believed To Be Over 3,000 Years Old Looks Like Angry Birds Character

A clay figure, believed to be over 3,000 years old, has been discovered in China, and it looks just like one of the pigs from popular video game Angry Birds.

Archaeologists uncovered the fist-sized figurine in the ancient ruins of a 5,000-year-old tribe in what is now modern-day Guanghan in Sichuan province.

It was retrieved during a mammoth dig of the Guanghan Joint Ruins site, in what is believed to have been a village just outside the Bronze Age kingdom of Sanxingdui.

The dig was carried out by the Sichuan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology who described it as a delicate artifact.

In the post discussing the find, the institute said: "Its image is cute and lifelike, and it is a must. It can be seen that even in the era when the productive forces were extremely underdeveloped, the ancestors of ancient Shu still had an aesthetic level that should not be underestimated."

And since the photo of the strange ornament was posted online, it has been likened to the green pig in the popular video game.

Writing on Twitter, one person said: "It is the pig from Angry Birds!"

While another joked: "The pig in Angry Birds. You have infringed the copyright."

So far 4,500 square metres of a reported 7,000-square-metre site has been excavated, with a range of artefacts having been discovered, including detailed carvings of a dragon and a phoenix under a clay plate, ancient cups and utensils, as well as copper coins and a totem that is said to symbolise good fortune.

It is one of five sites currently being investigated by experts, and it is hoped that further analysis will give a better insight into how people 'lived in the surrounding areas of the ancient capital of Shu Kingdom'.

Earlier this year, archaeologists in Scotland uncovered human remains from the Medieval period during a dig.

The bones reportedly date back as far as 1300 and were found just outside South Leith Parish Church in Edinburgh.

According to reports, previous research into the area found evidence of a medieval graveyard that extended across the road from the site, with 10 bodies already having been dug up and part of a cemetery wall found.

It comes as planned work continues on extending the city's tramlines.

Featured Image Credit: Provincial Archaeological Institute

Topics: World News

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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