Mercury pollution and the ancient Maya: where, why and how.

Summary

Multi-element inorganic geochemical studies across the Maya lowlands have revealed elevated levels of mercury (Hg) in soils and sediments that date mainly from the Classic period (c. 250-900 AD). Mercury pollution has now been recorded at a range of archaeological sites despite the absence of metallurgy until the Postclassic Period (after 1000 AD), or any other industry capable of significant heavy metal pollution of the environment. This paper presents the first detailed analysis of the extent and magnitude of anthropogenic Hg in the natural environment of the ancient Maya. Given the scarcity of mercury sources in the Maya world, and the importance of liquid (native) and solid forms of mercury (cinnabar) to the Maya, we examine the possible sources and idea of mercury as a prestige commodity, and the implications of this for our understanding of the trade of high-value natural resources in antiquity.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Anthropic activity markers: archaeology and ethnoarchaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage