Ecuadorian Cinnabar and the Prehispanic Trade in Vermilion Pigment
Viable Hypothesis or Red Herring
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4374094 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Richard L Burger (0000-0002-0664-0645), Kris Lane, Kris E Lane, Colin A Cooke (0000-0002-7417-5263) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 22-35 |
| Publication date | 2016-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Latin American Antiquity (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1045-6635 • E-ISSN: 2325-5080 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.7183/1045-6635.27.1.22 |
| OpenAlex | W2323363394 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 25 |
| References cited | 9 |
Cinnabar ore is the source of a bright red pigment (mercury [II] sulfide, HGS), a substance that was highly valued in the Central Andes during prehispanic times. It is traditionally believed to come from Huancavelica in south-central Peru, although some scholars have argued that a prehispanic cinnabar source existed at Azogues near Cuenca in southern Ecuador. It has also been suggested that the cinnabar recovered at archaeological sites in northern Peru such as Baton Grande may have come from this putative Ecuadorian source. In this article, the historical and archaeological evidence supporting this position is evaluated and found to be insufficient to sustain the Ecuadorian Cinnabar Hypothesis. Moreover, recent mercury isotope analysis of archaeological samples from northern Peru supports the earlier hypothesis that the source of the bright red pigment, sometimes referred to as vermilion, was cinnabar ore mined in Huancavelica. This source is located over 850 km to the south of archaeological sites such as Batdn Grande, Chongoyape, and Pacopampa
Archaeology · Art · Biology · Cinnabar · Fish · Fishery · Geography · Herring · Mercury (programming language · Pigment · Vermilion · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Mercury impact and mitigation studies
Burger, Richard
Burger, Richard
What is that Pigment? Surface Analysis of Early Ceramics from Kuntur Wasi, Andes of Peru, by Way of Raman Microscopy and Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy
The source, processing and use of red pigment based on hematite and cinnabar at Gramalote, an early Initial Period (1500–1200 cal. B.C.) maritime community, north coast of Peru
Use, symbolism, and access to red pigments based on hematite and cinnabar between 400 B.C. and A.D. 1450 in Huanchaco, a pre-Hispanic maritime community on the North Coast of Peru
Identification of pigments and binders of a 17th century mural painting (Bolivia). New report on pigments associated with Andean minerals
ICP Analyses from the Cinnabar-Mercury Occurrence at Azogues (Loma Guashon), Ecuador
Cinnabar use in Prehispanic Peru and its possible health consequences
Native mercury
Looking at a Map Might Help
A Response to the Commentary by Karen Olsen Bruhns, William E. Brooks, and Deborah Truhan on “Ecuadorian Cinnabar and the Prehispanic Trade in Vermilion Pigment
Use of non-traditional heavy stable isotopes in archaeological research
Campanayuq Rumi and Arpiri
Painted textiles
Toxic Pigment in a Capacocha Burial
Prevalence of dental caries and antemortem tooth loss at Pacopampa in an initial stage of social stratification in Peru’s northern highlands
De la montaña al mar
Pigments - Mercury-based red (cinnabar-vermilion) and white (calomel) and their degradation products
Use of LA-ICP-MS to evaluate mercury exposure or diagenesis in Inca and non-Inca mummies from northern Chile
Interregional Obsidian Exchange During the Late Initial Period and Early Horizon
Mummy false heads from Pachacamac and the ontology of the dead in ancient Peru
Beyond exotic goods
Cinabrio y mercurio en Teotihuacán y, en particular, en el túnel bajo el templo de la Serpiente Emplumada, México
Painting personhood
El Condor mine
| Unique citing works | 25 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,5 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2023 (8) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 25 |