Researchers found extreme levels of mercury in sediment cores in Mexico ‪—‬ and it’s all because the Maya loved red paint.

By Will Dunham Nov 6 (Reuters) - For the ancient Maya, the vibrant red mineral cinnabar held deep sacred meaning, representing blood, life and the soul. They used it widely as pigment in murals and ...

Mud from two lakes in Mexico shows mercury from the Maya’s red paint reached toxic levels for centuries as algae, snails, and ...

For the ancient Maya, red was the color of life. They painted walls, decorated sacred objects, and even covered the dead with ...

The Megalithic Sanctuary Towering over the Yucatan Peninsula and the 'Serpent of Light' PhenomenonChichen Itza is an ancient ...

Ancient Maya communities made extensive use of liquid mercury and a red, mercury-containing pigment called cinnabar to ...

When archaeologists discovered an ancient Maya settlement hidden in the forests of Campeche earlier this year, reaching it had been so difficult that they gave it a name reflecting their experience: ...

Genetic tests on teeth left with a woman buried in Bats'ub Cave, in the Maya Mountains of Belize, suggest that 24 of the 30 ...

N.C. Stevens is a freelance beverage journalist writing on topics ranging from tea and coffee to beer and spirits. His work often focuses on drinks as they appear in history, community, and ...

Mud cores from two Yucatan lakes show mercury spiking for centuries during the Classic Maya era.