Ancient civilisations created the 'man in the moon' face by arranging something on the lunar surface.
The 'man in the moon' face is entirely natural, created by the moon's topography of mountains, valleys, and impact craters. The pattern humans perceive is purely a result of how light and shadow fall on the lunar surface. Different cultures see different faces, it's a case of pareidolia (seeing patterns in random features).
Reception
Sources
- Moon Topography - NASA PRIMARY
- Snopes: Man in the Moon REFERENCE