The first direct evidence for the
production of Maya Blue:
rediscovery of a technology
Dean E. Arnold1, Jason R. Branden2, Patrick Ryan Williams3,
Gary M. Feinman3 & J. P. Brown3
ARQUEOLOGÍA E HISTORIA 01-01-2011
The altar on the Temple of the Warriors at Chichen Itzá upon which human sacrifices were made
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 Chichen Itza. The results indicate that the formation of the colour was actually part of the ritual.