Maya Blue: Cracking the Code of an Ancient Pigment
2025-06-16
This article unravels the mystery of Maya Blue, a remarkably durable blue pigment used by the ancient Maya civilization. It reveals Maya Blue isn't a simple organic or inorganic pigment, but a unique, human-made nano-structured hybrid of the clay mineral palygorskite and the indigo dye. Through analysis of ancient pottery and sacrificial offerings, the author unveils two methods the Maya used to create it: one involving burning palygorskite, indigo, and copal incense; the other, grinding wet palygorskite with indigo leaves and then heating the mixture. This discovery highlights the Maya's sophisticated craftsmanship and offers insights for modern materials science.
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