Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

Cool article, and even cooler site IMO. Brings back memories of 20 years ago, when many sites looked similar. It probably looks radically ugly to the modern eye, but I kind of miss the goofiness of pages like this, down to the poem at the bottom (in Comic Sans, no less).

Chrome probably would have kicked up some sort of fuss about it, but I was almost hoping to see .swf as the file extension for the wheel GIF at the top. Good times.

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#5

Post by fside » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 2:20 PM UTC

[flagged]

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#6

Post by cap11235 » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 2:26 PM UTC

fside wrote: post #5

[flagged]

No? Calling them advanced is one thing (because it was advanced up to their elimination/dispersion), saying it rivals modern materials science is ridiculous, and is a statement that appeals to the people that buy crystals for their "healing energy". The peoples born of the America's do not benefit from Burning Man-type bullshit.

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#7

Post by maxwell » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 2:46 PM UTC

Egyptian blue was recently recreated using ancient methods:

https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2025/06/02/researchers-re...

They look chemically quite different: clay, palygorskite/sepiolite, and indigo for Mayan blue; silica, lime, copper, and an alkali for Egyptian blue.

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#8

Post by IAmBroom » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 2:56 PM UTC

cap11235 wrote: post #6

fside wrote: post #5

[flagged]

No? Calling them advanced is one thing (because it was advanced up to their elimination/dispersion), saying it rivals modern materials science is ridiculous, and is a statement that appeals to the people that buy crystals for their "healing energy". The peoples born of the America's do not benefit from Burning Man-type bullshit.

Or to put it more nicely, knowing how to make something is not knowing the fundamental science behind the thing.

Romans made self-healing cement without any knowledge of chemistry and materials science. Surgeons performed tumor removals without knowing why they formed. Etc.

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#9

Post by webdoodle » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 3:46 PM UTC

IAmBroom wrote: post #8

cap11235 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No? Calling them advanced is one thing (because it was advanced up to their elimination/dispersion), saying it rivals modern materials science is ridiculous, and is a statement that appeals to the people that buy crystals for their "healing energy". The peoples born of the America's do not benefit from Burning Man-type bullshit.

Or to put it more nicely, knowing how to make something is not knowing the fundamental science behind the thing. Romans made self-healing cement without any knowledge of chemistry and materials science. Surgeons performed tumor removals without knowing why they formed. Etc.

[flagged]

Re: Maya Blue: Unlocking the Mysteries of an Ancient Pigment

#10

Post by colechristensen » Mon, Jun 16, 2025, 3:58 PM UTC

webdoodle wrote: post #9

IAmBroom wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or to put it more nicely, knowing how to make something is not knowing the fundamental science behind the thing. Romans made self-healing cement without any knowledge of chemistry and materials science. Surgeons performed tumor removals without knowing why they formed. Etc.

[flagged]

It is silly to assert that ancient peoples might have known quantum physics but "we just don't know!"