Photo: Ancient Maya Used "Glitter" Paint to Make Temple Gleam

Email to a Friend << Back to Full Story


A man walks through a replica of the Rosalila Temple at the Museum of the Mayan Ruins in Copán, Honduras, on July 13, 2001.

A new study of paint flakes taken from masks on the temple's exterior found that the Maya used mica to make the temple's colorful paint glimmer in the sun.

(AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

EMAIL NEWSLETTER Photos and News of the Week

Get the top photos and news of the week from National Geographic News, plus occasional breaking-news alerts.

See Sample >>
Please enter a valid email address
Privacy Policy

MOST VIEWED NEWS

New Mercury Images Show Volcanoes, Magnetic Field, More

100 Years After Tunguska, Earth Not Ready for Meteors

WEEK IN PHOTOS: Space "Ribbon," Calif. Wildfires, More
NEWS FEEDS    After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed. After installing a news reader, click on this icon to download National Geographic News's XML/RSS feed.

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS

ADVERTISEMENT

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC'S PHOTO OF THE DAY

Today's National Geographic Photo of the Day

• Today's Photo

• Download as Wallpaper

Photo and Headline Widget

Put our latest news and photos on your Web page or desktop—automatically updates! See Sample
Download Widget