Emily Chan
In the depths of the cenote, a layer of blue could be seen, the first sign of the color’s significance in Maya rituals.
Several decades later, a ceramic bowl housed in a museum collection that was originally found at the bottom of the sinkhole revealed how, where, and when Maya blue was made.
The bowl contained incense with traces of copal, a natural fiber. In addition to the copal, indigo, and palygorskite were discovered.
The burning of the incense heated up the indigo dye so that it would become embedded in the palygorskite, which explains Maya blue’s resilience and vibrancy.
So, Maya blue was created in ceramic bowls during ceremonies that took place near the sinkhole. Human sacrificial victims and valuable objects would then be painted with the blue pigment and tossed into the sinkhole to appeal to Chaac.
