After 1,800 years, ghosts from ancient Mayan cities are still enough to harm people

New research into ancient Mayan citadels warns archaeologists could be in danger as a ghost that harmed ancient people rises again when dug up.

According to research recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Environmental Science , buried deep in the soil and sediments of ancient Mayan cities is a large enough amount of mercury to harm modern-day archaeologists.

Previously, a team of authors led by Associate Professor Duncan Cook from Australian Catholic University (Australia) analyzed sediments taken from many Maya citadels in present-day Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and discovered that except for the classic period site Chan b'i, all other Maya citadels were heavily contaminated with mercury.

Graphic image depicting a pyramid in the ancient Maya city - (Photo: SCITECH DAILY).

This was due to the habit of using mercury-related materials in rituals and other activities , including the beautiful and distinctive red cinnabar powder - a symbol of the empire's power.

Mercury pollution was most prevalent between 250 and 1100 AD, which is why the older citadel was not affected.

At the famous archaeological and tourist site of Tikal , mercury concentrations reached 17.16 ppm, 17.16 times higher than the toxic threshold.

Mercury poisoning once harmed the ancient Maya, causing damage to their central nervous system, kidneys, liver, deafness, paralysis, morbid obesity, mental illness. which some of the strange reliefs of the ancient Maya may have reflected.

With today's measurements, archaeologists are still very vulnerable to this ancient "ghost" when digging in the area; suggesting that severe metal contamination is something that needs to be taken into account in excavations.