Scientists have confirmed that a red pigment found in a 2,000-year-old grave at a Scythian cemetery in southern Ukraine contains cinnabar, a toxic mineral known for its striking color and mercury content. The find, made at the Chervony Mayak burial ground in the Kherson Region, marks the first time this substance has been definitively identified in a Late Scythian burial.
The discovery sheds new light on the burial customs of the Late Scythian culture, which occupied the region along the Dnipro River from the second to mid-third centuries AD. Researchers believe the use of cinnabar was intentional, possibly serving a ritual or symbolic role in funerary practices.
Ancient burial site reveals unusual red pigment use
The pigment was found in grave 155, which held the remains of two women buried at different times. Three small lumps of red material were placed near the skull and ribcage of the older individual, a woman between 35 and 45 years old. Beads and copper alloy items were also found in the grave, which archaeologists have dated to the first and second centuries AD.
Olena Dzneladze of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, lead author of the study published in Antiquity, said the use of red substances in Scythian graves is not unusual, but their precise composition often goes untested. In this case, laboratory analysis proved crucial.
To determine the mineral content, samples were examined using advanced imaging tools, including scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results showed the pigment was mercury sulfide, confirming the presence of cinnabar.
The mineral appeared in sharp-edged particles less than twenty microns in size, embedded in soil containing natural compounds such as quartz and calcite.
Scientific testing confirms presence of toxic mineral in Scythian cemetery
Though cinnabar is known for its vivid red color, it is also highly toxic due to its mercury content. Its deliberate placement in the burial raises questions about its purpose. According to the researchers, cinnabar and other red pigments may have served multiple roles, including symbolic protection, purification, or cosmetic use.
While the exact source of the cinnabar has not been identified, deposits of the mineral are found in both southern and eastern Ukraine. More analysis is needed to trace its origin and better understand trade or resource use in the region during that period.
Dzneladze noted that without proper analysis, pigments in graves are often misidentified. This study highlights the need for scientific testing to support archaeological interpretation and correct assumptions about ancient burial materials.
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