The Maya Produced Rubber 3,000 Years Before Goodyear

AncientPages.com - Until recently, people believed that vulcanization, combining rubber with other materials to make it more durable was discovered by Charles Goodyear who received his patent in 1843. This is however not the case.

The Maya produced rubber 3,000 years before Goodyear!

A solid rubber ball used (or similar to those used) in the Mesoamerican ballgame, 300 BCE to 250 CE, Kaminaljuyu. The ball is 3 inches (almost 8 cm) in diameter, a size that suggests it was used to play a handball game. Behind the ball is a manopla, or handstone, which was used to strike the ball, 900 BCE to 250 CE, also from Kaminaljuyu. Image credit: Wikipedia

MIT researchers have discovered that Mesoamerican peoples were producing rubber artifacts for a broad variety of uses.

The researchers "have compiled a compelling case that ancient Mesoamerican peoples were the first polymer scientists, exerting substantial control over the mechanical properties of rubber for various applications," said materials scientist John McCloy of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who was not involved in the research.

Scientists think the  Maya discovered this process >accidentally, during a religious ritual. They harvested latex from rubber trees and mixed it with juice from morning glory vines, which contains a chemical that makes the solidified latex less brittle.

Once they realized how strong and versatile this new material was, the Maya began to use it in a variety of ways. Among many things they made water-resistant cloth, glue, bindings for books, figurines and the large rubber balls used in the ritual game known as pokatok.

See also: Chocolate Was Invented In Mesoamerica 1900 B.C.

Ancient rubber footwear has not been found at archaeological sites, but written records of the Spanish conquistadors indicate that the indigenous peoples wore them. Archaeologists have found rubber balls, bands, statues and adhesives.

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