Archaeologists discovered pieces of cinnabar, a mineral form of mercury sulfide that is extremely poisonous to humans, in a double burial of the Scythian culture. The burial, about 1900 years old, is located in the Chervony Mayak burial ground in southern Ukraine, on the banks of the Dnieper. Scientists are still arguing why ancient people put them in their graves. dangerous substance.
Two women are buried in the burial. The eldest was 35–45 years old at the time of death, the youngest was 18–20. Her remains were buried later. Along with them, archaeologists found beads, ceramics and metal objects. But the main find is red lumps of cinnabar, which is also called vermillion.
The bright red pigment has been used in various cultures since prehistoric times. They covered the bodies of the dead with it in order to restore to them the appearance of life – a kind of blush. But cinnabar, unlike harmless ocher, is deadly. When heated, it releases mercury vapor, which accumulates in the body and leads to severe poisoning.
The study authors suggest that the mineral could also have practical applications. Scythian crypts were often used for decades – new dead were opened and buried. Cinnabar, which has antibacterial properties, may have slowed the decomposition of previously buried bodies. This made it possible to carry out repeated burials under more acceptable conditions.
To date, the red mineral has been found in only three of the 177 graves of Chervony Mayak. And all three belong to women. This prompted scientists to think about the cosmetic purpose of cinnabar. In women’s burials of that era, there are often vessels and boxes with paints, where they could store and dilute mineral pigments.
Professor Kaare Lund Rasmussen from the University of Southern Denmark, who has studied the use of cinnabar in medieval Europe, notes that red dyes are found in burials as far back as 15,000 years ago. He recalls the beautiful burial of a mother and child in Denmark, where the bodies were strewn with red ochre.
However, it is not yet possible to say exactly why the Scythians used the poisonous mineral. Perhaps it was a ritual, perhaps cosmetics, and perhaps a way to preserve bodies. The study authors hope their work will draw attention to the findings, which were previously described simply as “red pigment” or “a piece of ocher” without chemical analysis. There may be a much more interesting and dangerous story behind these definitions.
Source: Live Science
Image: B. Polit
