Latin America

by Guillermo Carvajal
October 10, 2024



Excavations at the ancient Mayan city of Ucanal, Guatemala. Credit: Proyecto Arqueológico Ucanal


A recent study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports has revealed mercury contamination in the ancient water reservoirs of the Maya city of Ucanal, located in Petén, Guatemala. The research team, made up of archaeologists and geoscientists, found excessively high levels of mercury in the sediments of three water reservoirs dating back to the Terminal Classic period, when the city reached its peak. This raises questions about the health and living conditions of the Maya population that inhabited this city.

Mercury, in its cinnabar form (mercury sulfide), was widely used by the Maya in funerary ceremonies and as a pigment in the decoration of buildings and luxury objects. However, until now, little was known about the potential environmental contamination risks this substance may have caused in ancient Maya cities.

The study analyzed sediments extracted from three water reservoirs, known as Aguada 2, Aguada 3, and Piscina 2, located in different areas of the city. The results showed that all the reservoirs had mercury concentrations above the toxic threshold, reaching levels that classify the sediments as

Cinnabar found on artifacts from Ucanal, Guatemala: (a) crushed cinnabar pigment on the interior of a utilitarian ceramic vessel (Cambio Unslipped type) and likely as a receptacle for pigment preparation, it was recovered intermixed with materials from a Late Classic bone tool production workshop in elite residential Group J (UCA1B-12-8-1322); (b) jade ornament (UC-PV-042) from a royal burial deposit, Burial 20-1. Credit: C. Halperin

Particularly in Aguada 3, researchers found a mercury level of up to 16.91 micrograms per gram, more than ten times the level considered safe for freshwater ecosystems. This reservoir was located near non-elite residential areas, suggesting that the contamination was not limited to the city’s upper classes, but may have affected the entire population.

More:
https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/10/the-entire-maya-city-of-ucanal-and-its-inhabitants-were-contaminated-with-mercury/