Cinnabar Powder Used in Ancient Iberia Caused the Earliest Cases of Mercury Poisoning

In modern times, mercury is a matter of concern for health and environmental authorities because of its high toxicity. In Western countries, legislation has been passed, and programs have been implemented to eliminate this element from human activities.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/ James St. John)

However, this was not always the case. Since ancient times, mercury and its compounds have been highly appreciated and used worldwide. It even had medicinal, decorative, metallurgical, and symbolic purposes.

A Lifetime of Mercury Abuse

About 5,000 years ago, in the Iberian Peninsula, groups of women adorned themselves with immaculate ceremonial attire as they participated in a ritual dance before an audience. The practice involved inhaling a vibrant, red powder, which could have also been mixed as an elixir.

The scarlet powder, derived from the mineral cinnabar, caused a fevered ecstasy accompanied by trembling and delirium. Unbeknownst to them, this tradition necessitated a lifetime of dangerous and lethal mercury abuse.

Repeated exposure to these rites led to mercury accumulation in the women's tissues over their lifetimes. After a millennium, archeological analysis revealed that the bones of these women and others from their community had significantly elevated levels of mercury, far surpassing the health tolerances in modern guidelines.

In a study led by archaeologist Leonardo García Sanjuán from the University of Seville in Spain, it was revealed that the Copper Age settlement of Valencina practiced rituals where the leaders purposefully ingested cinnabar. On the other hand, other community members may have consumed it while working with the red powder or through environmental contamination.

The people of Valencina likely developed acrodynia, the medical term for chronic mercury poisoning. As a result, they experienced hair loss and developed rashes, in addition to fatigue, memory lapses, and potential kidney failure.

Mercury has been shown to severely damage the nervous, digestive, and immune systems, causing symptoms like headaches, tremors, and partial blindness. Those inhaled vapors or powders containing mercury likely suffered from pneumonitis, resulting in inflamed lungs.

Beautiful Yet Lethal

Valencina and other societies worldwide utilized cinnabar for magic, beauty, and traditional medicine. It has been used for at least 10,000 years to the present day despite the risks of debilitation or death.

Cinnabar is a light red stone typically found in volcanic or hydrothermal environments. It is formed through the union of mercury and sulfur when near-boiling fluids flow through cracks in rocks. Also known as mercury sulfide, cinnabar has been considered in many cultures as an exotic raw material that is highly valued and linked to elites and sacred practices.

In ancient times, cinnabar was ground and mixed with egg yolk or oil to create paint. In different regions, like Iberia, Mexico, and the Andes, ancient people applied the pigment to graves and corpses.

Experts have extensively explored mercury types in foods and industrial products. However, the study on the health impacts of geologic forms like cinnabar remains limited. Societies in South Africa, the Caribbean, and Tibet still use cinnabar for its perceived magical effects. Meanwhile, traditional Chinese medicine suggests mixing this red powder with herbs and animal parts to treat different ailments.