A mysterious stone face found carved into a boulder in Kazakhstan has left archaeologists scratching their heads as they are uncertain as to its origin, but believe it could be thousands of years old. According to a local media report, the suspected ancient visage was discovered earlier this month by workers from the country's Department of Emergency Situations as they were surveying the Akmola Region. Archaeologists were subsequently alerted to the remarkable find, which measures approximately 10 inches long and 8 inches wide, and set about studying the face in the hopes of determining when it was carved onto the rock and, perhaps more importantly, why.

Shedding light on the discovery, the Margulan Institute of Archaeology issued a press release wherein they marveled that "the face is well developed, all the details are clearly visible - large eyes, long straight nose, wide lips." Researchers examining the carving observed that it resembles similar works from the Bronze Age, though conceded that "it could belong to various historical epochs." As for its purpose, they noted that a rock ceiling and a "poorly preserved image of a deer" were also near the carved face, leading to the theory that the spot was "part of the complex designed for the implementation of ritual practices." That said, the precise nature of the piece remains a mystery to scientists, who plan to continue studying the discovery.