Cinnabar is a very attractive scarlet red colored mineral. The Egyptians and the Chinese may have been using cinnabar as a red pigment for centuries before the birth of Christ.

Cinnabar was mined by the Roman Empire for its mercury content and it has been the main ore of mercury throughout the centuries. Some mines used by the Romans are still being mined today. Archaeologists found mercury in an Egyptian tomb dating from 1500 BC. The Greeks knew of mercury and used it as a medicine. Mercury and mercury compounds were used from about the 15th century to the mid 20th century to treat syphilis.