Lime production in Mesoamerica
For millennia, lime has been used in construction and the elaboration of architectural facings, such that it constitutes an important aspect of the historical development of many social groups around the world, but especially of the inherited culture of Mesoamerica.
This paper discusses the geology, energy and physical-chemical aspects of lime production, beginning with a bibliographical review that traces the possible origin of this important technology to the Petén zone of Guatemala and northern Belize. It emphasizes that lime technology was invented independently in Mesoamerica, and that its use spread to the public architecture of many other zones, primarily in the Mayan area, Oaxaca and Mexico’s high Central Plain. Lime also had an impact on the urban development of ancient settlements by enabling construction of public architecture with masonry that produced tall, thin buildings.
Also, it played an important role in the development of mural painting, as it allowed the cultures that used it to elaborate surfaces where artists’ creative abilities could take flight and, thanks to its chemical and mechanic stability, permits us to appreciate these works of art hundreds of years later.
But perhaps it was in alimentation that lime played its most significant role in Mesoamerica, for it made possible the most distinctive characteristic of Mesoamerican culture: the technique of boiling corn kernels with lime to produce the dough used to make tortillas, tamales and other foods (nixtamalización). We have no evidence to suggest that this technique was known in any other area of the world.
Finally, the hygienic properties of floors made with lime, compared to compacted dirt or clay, have had enormous repercussions on the health of populations and propitiated the study of activities from the distant past.
