Ancient Maya mercury use may have come at a severe environmental cost

Ancient Maya mercury use may have come at a severe environmental cost — Live Feedhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/ancient-maya-mercury-use-may-have-come-at-a-severe-environmental-costContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. Ancient Maya Mercury Use Polluted Lakeshttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/ancient-maya-mercury-use-may-have-come-at-a-severe-environmental-costhttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/ancient-maya-mercury-use-may-have-come-at-a-severe-environmental-cost#u190744Tue, 10 Nov 2026 09:57:07 +0000Ancient Maya populations extensively used liquid mercury and a red mercury-containing pigment known as cinnabar to decorate buildings, pottery, and burial sites. While previous research established local soil and reservoir contamination at certain sites, a recent study published in Science Advances reveals that this heavy pollution spread much further across Maya territory. The widespread use of these mercury substances eventually triggered the collapse of two lake ecosystems, leaving a toxic legacy in Yucatán lake mud and water for centuries.Why it mattersThis discovery illuminates the severe