# The Maya used so much red paint that they poisoned their water with mercury, mud sediments reveal

Source: [ Latest from Live Science in Archaeology ](https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/americas/the-maya-used-so-much-red-paint-that-they-poisoned-their-water-with-mercury-mud-sediments-reveal) · 2026-11-07 · Life
Page: https://themorning.science/story/the-maya-used-so-much-red-paint-that-they-poisoned-their-water-with-mercury-mud-ac269e9038d1f172
Kind: research · Impact: low

## In brief

- A new study finds Maya use of cinnabar red paint (vermilion) released mercury into their lakes and waterways.
- Evidence comes from mud sediments, per the Live Science report.
- Paint run-off is described as the route by which mercury entered water.

## Why it matters

It shows how ancient pigment production can contaminate water with mercury, a useful case for environmental historians and archaeologists studying past pollution.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-07: Live Science reports the study finding that Maya red paint poisoned waterways with mercury

## Coverage

- [The Maya used so much red paint that they poisoned their water with mercury, mud sediments reveal](https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/americas/the-maya-used-so-much-red-paint-that-they-poisoned-their-water-with-mercury-mud-sediments-reveal) —  Latest from Live Science in Archaeology , 2026-11-07

Tags: archaeology, maya, mercury, pollution, pigments, sediment

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science