Life after death: a physicochemical study of materials used by the ancient Maya in human bone ointments

Abstract

Ancient Maya believed in life after death. They used to prepare dead bodies during burial ceremonies whose purpose was to celebrate the dead and to help them passing through the way from earthly life to the beyond one. Bodies preparation included coloured scented body ointment application, with a deep symbolic connotation and probably also a conservative purpose. The aim of this research was to characterize pigments and binders used by ancient Maya in the preparation of body ointments used to paint human bones. Emblematic painted bone samples from Xcambó (Maya archaeological site located in the municipality of Dzemul, in the Mexican state of Yucatán) were investigated through a non-destructive and micro-destructive analytical techniques. Results pointed out the presence of two mainly red pigments, i.e. red ochre and cinnabar, as already observed in other Maya painted bones. The new insight of the research is the identification of the organic compounds used as binding media in the ointments: a mixture of vegetable drying oil (probably Chia seed oil) mixed with an aromatic compound (bitumen). This knowledge, together with that obtained in the last decades, is important to reconstruct the cultural habitat and social customs of this pre-Hispanic civilization and transfer them to today's context.

Preliminary experiment into the effects of red ochre on decomposition rate and bone microstructure in stillborn/perinate Sus scrofa domesticus

“…Limited experimental research suggests that ochre treatment does not deter carnivore activity by masking smells of carcasses in graves (Rausing, 1991); though, in Rausing's experiment the carcasses were sprinkled with ochre, not encased in a paste. Izzo et al (2022) hypothesise that scented ointments and ochres used in Mayan burials served to mitigate the odours produced by putrefaction, which would be particularly important for funeral customs that last many days, while also functioning symbolically to represent blood. However, given that Piglet 4 eventually burst due to a build-up of gasses trapped by the ochre casing which disarticulated the skeletal remains, if ochre was used to mask smells for funerary rituals, this may have been only effective for a short period of time, particularly in warm climates or during hotter seasons.…”

“…For example, in many Palaeolithic cases the corpses were sprinkled with ochre (Aldhouse-Green, 2001; Einwögerer et al, 2006;Formicola & Holt, 2015;Giacobini, 2007;Orschiedt, 2018;Petru, 2018;Svoboda, 2008) or, as was hypothesised to be the case at Epipalaeolithic Shubayqa 1 (Richter at al., 2019), wrapped in textiles treated with ochre, which led to extensive staining of infant bone. Among the ancient Maya, layers of pigment and resin were either applied directly to the body or an iron oxide paint was applied to the burial shroud (Izzo et al, 2022;Rigon et al, 2020).…”

Environmental legacy of pre-Columbian Maya mercury

“…Cinnabar was being used by the Maya in burial contexts from the Middle Preclassic onward at sites including Tikal (Welsh, 1988), Chiapa de Corzo (Lowe and Agrinier 1960: 46) and possibly Colha (Thompson, 2005). Maya burials in the Preclassic (and later periods) also achieved red decorations through the use of minerals such as ochre and haematite (Izzo et al, 2022). From the Early Classic onward, cinnabar use became much more widespread across the Maya world.…”