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Underwater caves once hosted the Americas’ oldest known ochre mines

Now-submerged Mexican caves hold signs of red pigment extraction as early as 12,000 years ago

diver in underwater Mexican cave

A diver collects burned wood from a fire pit in the oldest known ochre mine in the Americas. People extracted red pigment from chambers deep in a now-submerged Mexican cave system between around 12,000 and 10,000 years ago, scientists say.

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By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Ancient Americans ventured deep into caves along a stretch of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to mine a red pigment that could have had both practical and ritual uses, researchers say.