Mayan mask lights up for May

The sunsets of early May light up the eyes of a Mayan Mask in Campeche, Mexico. It signals the start of the agricultural season.

The stone figure represents the Mayan Sun God, also known as the "man with eyes like the sun".

Every year, during the first days of May, the eyes of the local solar deity come to life at sunset, just after 6pm local time.

Archaeologist Florentino Garcia, who discovered the mask in 1985, said the timing of the illumination signals the beginning of the agricultural cycle.

He said: "I noticed that May 3 is not only important on the peninsula but in the whole Mayan area."

The Mask dates back to 700 AD. The collapse of the Maya is still considered one of the great mysteries of archaeology.