2008/03/01 by Dean E. Arnold, Jason R. Branden, Patrick Ryan Williams +2 · 1 citation
Arts and Humanities · Chemistry · #Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis #Dye analysis and toxicity #Maya #Sacrifice #Art #Production (economics) #History #Ancient history #Archaeology
paper · doi:10.1017/s0003598x00096514
openalex publication_date 2008/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
Maya Blue is a colour that is more than a pigment; it had roles in status, ritual and performance, being daubed onto pots and people before sacrifice. Here researchers use experimental and historical evidence to discover how it was made, including direct scientific analysis of Maya Blue on a pot thrown into the sacred well at Chichén Itzá. The results indicate that the formation of the colour was actually part of the ritual.