Ecuadorian Cinnabar and the Prehispanic Trade in Vermilion Pigment: Viable Hypothesis or Red Herring?

Abstract

Cinnabar ore is the source of a bright red pigment (mercury [II] sulfide, HGS), a substance that was highly valued in the Central Andes during prehispanic times. It is traditionally believed to come from Huancavelica in south-central Peru, although some scholars have argued that a prehispanic cinnabar source existed at Azogues near Cuenca in southern Ecuador. It has also been suggested that the cinnabar recovered at archaeological sites in northern Peru such as Baton Grande may have come from this putative Ecuadorian source. In this article, the historical and archaeological evidence supporting this position is evaluated and found to be insufficient to sustain the Ecuadorian Cinnabar Hypothesis. Moreover, recent mercury isotope analysis of archaeological samples from northern Peru supports the earlier hypothesis that the source of the bright red pigment, sometimes referred to as vermilion, was cinnabar ore mined in Huancavelica. This source is located over 850 km to the south of archaeological sites such as Batdn Grande, Chongoyape, and Pacopampa.

Toxic Pigment in aCapacochaBurial: Instrumental Identification of Cinnabar in Inca Human Remains from Iquique, Chile

“…Garcilaso de la Vega (1985de la Vega ( [1609) mentions that these pigments were used by the young Inca nobles to beautify themselves (Vetter 2007). In addition, Burger et al (2016) postulated that cinnabar used in Andean rituals was mined in Huancavelica, Peru. Thus, the possible finding of cinnabar in Cerro Esmeralda is significant because, as far as we know, this toxic compound has not yet been chemically identified in northern Chile, and this type of hazardous material may be unique in its connection with Inca rituals.…”

Unraveling the polychromy and antiquity of the Pachacamac Idol, Pacific coast, Peru

“…The pigments identified on the wooden post coincide with those previously analyzed in different regions of the Central Andes on offerings and mural paintings since at least the Formative period, centuries before the beginning of the present era [9,11,18,[61][62][63][64][65][66][67]. While the yellow and white paints used for the murals of the Painted Temple were produced in Pachacamac from mineral pigments available around the site [42,44], the occurrence of cinnabar in Andean geology is rare and none has been found around the Pachacamac site [68], so it is very unlikely that its presence on the buried Idol has occurred naturally. This therefore constitutes proof that the object was deliberately painted, with at least three colors.…”

“…Its application as a body painting pigment by elite Inca for certain specific occasions [18;31:112], but also by warriors to look more terrifying [18], demonstrates the significance and exclusivity of this colored material compared to iron oxide, much more commonly used in the Andean region. The importance of cinnabar is related to its provenance and association with the mine in Huancavelica in the central Andes, almost 380km from Lima [62,65,68], which was in operation from the Formative period onwards, and became an important source of the mineral for processing of silver in Potosí during the colonial era [31:111]. Although the existence of other sources has not been ruled out, the relevance of the cinnabar of Huancavelica was such that the extracted pigment was sometimes transported several hundred kilometers for its use in specific and sacred contexts [68,72].…”

“…The importance of cinnabar is related to its provenance and association with the mine in Huancavelica in the central Andes, almost 380km from Lima [62,65,68], which was in operation from the Formative period onwards, and became an important source of the mineral for processing of silver in Potosí during the colonial era [31:111]. Although the existence of other sources has not been ruled out, the relevance of the cinnabar of Huancavelica was such that the extracted pigment was sometimes transported several hundred kilometers for its use in specific and sacred contexts [68,72]. The identification of cinnabar on the Pachacamac Idol therefore also gives a material significance to the paint applied on the wooden statue.…”

ICP Analyses from the Cinnabar-Mercury Occurrence at Azogues (Loma Guashon), Ecuador: Ancient Industrial Uses and Human Health Implications

“…And, even though several geologic references are readily available, the Azogues cinnabar occurrence was dismissed, without field study or thorough review of the literature, as a "red herring" in Andean mineral resource studies by Berger et al (2016).…”