Hunt for ancient royal tomb in Mexico takes mercurial twist
Hunt for ancient royal tomb in Mexico takes mercurial twist
Source: Reuters - Fri, 24 Apr 2015 16:51 GMT
By David Alire Garcia
TEOTIHUACAN, Mexico, April 24 (Reuters) - A Mexican archeologist hunting for a royal tomb in a deep, dark tunnel beneath a towering pre-Aztec pyramid has made a discovery that may have brought him a step closer: liquid mercury.
In the bowels of Teotihuacan, a mysterious ancient city that was once the largest in the Americas, Sergio Gomez this month found "large quantities" of the silvery metal in a chamber at the end of a sacred tunnel sealed for nearly 1,800 years.
"It's something that completely surprised us," Gomez said at the entrance to the tunnel below Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Plumed Serpent, about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Mexico City.
Some archeologists believe the toxic element could herald what would be the first ruler's tomb ever found in Teotihuacan, a contemporary of several ancient Maya cities, but so shrouded in mystery that its inhabitants still have no name.
More:
http://www.trust.org/item/20150424165230-7l6ej/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Liquid mercury found under Mexican pyramid could lead to king's tomb
Researcher reports ‘large quantities’ of the substance under ruins of Teotihuacan in discovery that could shed light on city’s mysterious leaders
Alan Yuhas in New York
@alanyuhas
Friday 24 April 2015 17.23 EDT
[font size=1]
Visitors look at the archaeological area of the Quetzalcoatl (Feathered Serpent) Temple near the Pyramid
of the Sun at the Teotihuacan archaeological site, north of Mexico City. Photograph: Henry Romero/Reuters
[/font]
An archaeologist has discovered liquid mercury at the end of a tunnel beneath a Mexican pyramid, a finding that could suggest the existence of a king’s tomb or a ritual chamber far below one of the most ancient cities of the Americas.
Mexican researcher Sergio Gómez announced on Friday that he had discovered “large quantities” of liquid mercury in a chamber below the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent, the third largest pyramid of Teotihuacan, the ruined city in central Mexico.
Gómez has spent six years slowly excavating the tunnel, which was unsealed in 2003 after 1,800 years. Last November, Gómez and a team announced they had found three chambers at the tunnel’s 300ft end, almost 60ft below the the temple. Near the entrance of the chambers, they a found trove of strange artifacts: jade statues, jaguar remains, a box filled with carved shells and rubber balls.
Archaeologists work at a tunnel that may lead to royal tombs at the ancient city of Teotihuacan, in this May 2011 photo. Photograph: Handout/Reuters
Slowly working their way down the broad, dark and deep corridor beneath the pyramid, battling humidity and now obliged to wear protective gear against the dangers of mercury poisoning, Gómez and his team are meticulously exploring the three chambers.
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/24/liquid-mercury-mexican-pyramid-teotihuacan
http://www.johnbetts-fineminerals.com/jhbnyc/mineralmuseum/picshow.php?id=38921
liquid form of mercury is especially dangerous because it vaporizes at room temperature. And when it vaporizes, it fills the air with tiny, invisible mercury atoms that are both scentless and soluble in oils or fats.
If mercury vapor is inhaled, it is easily absorbed by the body, where it first gets into the lungs and from there into the blood and the brain. The nerve poison can cause sleep disorders, agitation, and paralysis.
Mercury is no longer used in thermometers but was once very common. Exposure to it can cause the neurological disorder erethism mercurialis - with at least one observable symptom, according to Thomas Gebel, a toxicologist at Germany's Federal Institute for Occupational Health and Safety in Dortmund. "There are historically documented cases that describe how people's handwriting changed. They start to skid off at the end of the line and can't write straight," Gebel says.
Vapor is the most dangerous Even a simple thing such as a broken thermometer can lead to mercury poisoning. It can be particularly dangerous in a children's playroom if liquid mercury seeps into cracks and corners and is left undisturbed to vaporize. "It's not like with hot water - water vaporizes and is gone. But mercury vaporizes more slowly, it can take days or weeks, and could be inhaled over a longer period of time," says Gebel.
That's dangerous stuff they put down there in large qualities......
The other mystery about this place is where they got all the mica which use to cover some the structures, gemologists have said that it came from Brazil because of its specific properties.