The enigmatic makeup of the unbeatable Maya Blue might possess the answer to discovering fade-resistant dyes.
Have you ever gazed at your beloved pair of blue jeans and yearned for them to retain their vibrant hue forever? Regrettably, blue is an exceptionally challenging dye to maintain its color over time.
Nevertheless, concealed within the lush forests in the center of the Americas lies a clandestine entity—one that has remained unknown to the global community for centuries.
In this journey, we will unravel the mystery of Maya Blue, a dye that withstands the test of time. This tale not only delves into the captivating chemistry of an indestructible dye, but also explores the significance of the color blue and the adventures of a man who once possessed a marvel of the world!
Edward Thompson and the Discovery of Maya Blue:
When we hear the word “Mayans,” some may associate it with calendars or apocalyptic prophecies. However, they were also the innovators of the first documented hybrid organic-inorganic dye. They could even be considered pioneers in the field of nanochemistry!
The Mayans were an advanced indigenous agricultural society, living in an area that extended from central Mexico to Honduras. This region remained completely concealed from the rest of the world.
Unfortunately, a significant amount of Mayan literature was destroyed when the Spanish invaded the region. However, in 1839, John Stephen Lloyd and Fredrick Catherwood were able to rediscover some of these works during their extensive exploration of the Meso-American region. If you want to learn more about this, you can click here.
The detailed descriptions and illustrations provided by Lloyd and Catherwood served as a great inspiration for numerous archaeologists and explorers. Edward Herbert Thompson was particularly influenced by their findings. In the late 1890s, Thompson purchased some land in the Yucatán region for $500 and embarked on his own expedition.
One day during his exploration, Thompson, along with his companions, embarked on a slow-paced horseback journey with the guidance of a local guide. The day was hot and dusty, and the sun had already set, but they continued to venture deeper into the forest.
Their eyes were heavy with sleep and exhaustion, but what they witnessed next banished any thoughts of rest. Standing before them, illuminated by the majestic radiance of a shimmering full moon, was El Castillo of Chichén Itzá (one of the new Wonders of the World).
The mayan pyramid El Castilo in Chichén Itzá (Photo Credit : Shutterstock)
Thompson and his family found a place to settle near the exploration site, accompanied by their team of local Maya workers. Thompson would frequently ascend Chichén Itzá to gain a better view of the surrounding area. On one particular occasion in March 1904, he felt a strong pull from a nearby Cenote (a sacred well), as if it were calling out to him.
Without any more delay, he started clearing the cenote with the assistance of local Maya people. He also employed a Greek diver to aid him in exploring the depths of the well. The dredging and diving efforts resulted in the retrieval of jewelry, figurines, and fragmented pottery. The most peculiar findings during the dredging, however, were a stack of skeletons and a 14-foot thick layer of enigmatic blue sediment.
The items recovered from the cenote were dispatched to the Peabody Museum at Harvard, the Field Museum of Natural history, and numerous other research establishments. The examination of the retrieved items and the remains of the Mayan civilization brought to light numerous pieces of information that had been concealed in history.
In 1931, a scientist named H.E Merwin analyzed the blue paint on a wall painting located at the Temple of Warriors in Yucatan. He was the first person to recognize the remarkably durable characteristics of this new blue paint. Later, in 1942, an American chemist named Rutherford J. Gettens introduced the term “Maya Blue”. This marked the beginning of the investigation into the highly stable blue dye.
A wall painting that showcases Maya Blue was discovered in Mexico in 1946 (Photo Credit: Dennis Jarvis/Wikimedia Commons).
The Mysterious Origins of Maya Blue
Research has uncovered that Maya Blue made its debut in the year 800 AD. It is thought to have played a role in the cultural fabric of the Mayan civilization.
The Mayans relied heavily on farming and conducted various ceremonies to appease their deity of rain, Chahk.
An incense burner shaped like the Mayan rain god, Chahk, was used in a custom where the god was presented with jewelry, ceramics, and sometimes even humans as offerings. It is believed that the dye used in the ritual was prepared and the offerings were painted blue before being thrown into the sacred cenote. This could explain the presence of blue sediment at the bottom of the well. They took feeling “blue” to a whole new level. A similar ritual was mentioned by Bishop Fray Diego de Landa in one of his personal accounts.
How Was Maya Blue Made?
Scientists were able to get closer to the answer by studying a three-foot pottery bowl at the Field Museum. The bowl contained copal incense with splashes of white and blue pigment. Under the scanning electron microscope, it was discovered that the bowl contained indigo (a plant-based blue dye) and palygorskite (a type of magnesium-aluminum clay). Antonio Domenech and his team at the University of Valencia confirmed these findings through spectroscopic analysis and voltammetry on blue paints found on various wall murals in Yucatan ruins.
Hands of an indigo extractor in an indigo garden (Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons & Pixabay & Shutterstock)
According to scientists, the Mayans used to get indigo from the anil plant. They would then combine it with palygorskite clay and heat it gradually with the help of copal incense. The sticky resin from the copal plant would have also assisted in holding the mixture together.
Maya Blue leans towards the turquoise side, indicating the presence of a yellow component. The other half of Maya Blue is dehydroindigo, a compound that determines the ratio and thus the resulting shade of either turquoise or dark greenish-blue.
The remarkable aspect of Maya Blue is its longevity. Despite its age, this pigment has shown minimal to no signs of fading. It is resistant to environmental, biological, and chemical factors, demonstrating no degradation when exposed to boiling nitric acid, strong solvents, and bases. Even at extremely high temperatures (up to 250⁰C), it remains stable.
In addition to its exceptional properties, Maya Blue has captured the interest of historians and scientists for another reason. Blue is a color that permeates many aspects of our lives, from the blues music genre and blueprints to blue jeans and the metaphorical expression of feeling blue.
Looking at the natural world, the color blue is extremely rare. It was so uncommon that ancient languages didn’t even have a word for blue. However, we can see blue in the sky, ocean, and butterfly wings due to the way light scatters. The wings of birds and butterflies have microstructures that reflect light at a specific angle, creating a blue appearance. This means that most of the blue we see in nature is not from a blue pigment, but rather from structural color. In terms of human history, blue pigment is a relatively new invention. The Egyptians were the first to create an artificial inorganic blue using sand, copper, and lime, but the recipe for Egyptian Blue has been lost to history. Later on, the discovery of Lapiz Lazuli, a naturally occurring mineral, led to the creation of a bright blue pigment called Ultramarine. This blue pigment became highly sought after and associated with divinity and royalty, making it more valuable than gold.
Moving on to Maya Blue, it is a stable pigment due to its unique properties. Indigo, as a dye, is not very stable and degrades easily. However, when heated with palygorskite and copal, it forms a guest-host system that stabilizes the pigment. Palygorskite, a clay with a layered framework, contains tunnel-like structures that can trap molecules, including indigo. When heated slowly, the trapped water molecules in the clay leave, creating space for the indigo molecules to enter. After heating is stopped, the indigo molecules outside the tunnels act as gatekeepers, locking in the molecules inside. The clay structure also provides steric shielding, protecting the indigo molecules from reacting with biological and chemical agents. While the exact molecular bonding and composition of the dye components are still uncertain, scientists have been inspired by studying the nanostructural aspects of Maya Blue to create fade-proof dyes that mimic the pre-historic times. They are currently working on synthesizing hybrid inorganic-organic nanocomposite pigments similar to Maya Blue, which would have UV and chemical resistance.
Summary
By studying Maya Blue, we can gain insight into the past and use that knowledge to create materials that will last into the future.
Each year, large amounts of old clothing are thrown away and end up in landfills. Additionally, the dyes we use in various products often end up polluting the ocean. These dyes contain harmful substances that further damage the environment and its inhabitants. Developing a dye that is both long-lasting and made from environmentally friendly ingredients could help solve this pressing problem.
Mayans utilized copal and palygorskite to address various illnesses. By combining these substances with indigo, they conveyed the symbolic representation of water’s curative abilities. If we can uncover the techniques they employed to create this mixture, it may offer potential solutions for healing our planet in the future.