{
  "id": 18900097,
  "title": "Ancient Maya's red pigment left toxic mercury legacy, new study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/08/ancient-mayas-red-pigment-left-toxic-mercury-legacy-new-study-finds",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-11-08T08:18:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/archaeology/ancient-mayas-vivid-red-pigment-a-toxic-legacy-of-mercury-contamination-revealed-in-new-study/articleshow/135640059.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Ancient Maya civilization used a red pigment made of mercury-rich cinnabar for decoration and rituals. This practice led to significant mercury contamination of nearby lakes and ecosystems. Research indicates that rising mercury levels impacted aquatic organisms and may have affected human health. Previous studies have also shown similar contamination at various Maya sites, raising concerns about…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Phys.org",
        "title": "Ancient Maya mercury use may have come at a severe environmental cost",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/ancient-maya-mercury-use-may-have-come-at-a-severe-environmental-cost",
        "published": "2026-11-05T19:20:08.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Live Science",
        "title": "The Maya used so much red paint that they poisoned their water with mercury, mud sediments reveal",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/the-maya-used-so-much-red-paint-that-they-poisoned-their-water-with",
        "published": "2026-11-07T18:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}