ocher

    Article

    A naturally occurring mineral derivative that was, and remains, in use by many indigenous peoples around the world as a pigment for marking bodies, hand tools, ceremonial objects, animals, and cave walls or other ceremonial spaces. The two most often used ocher colors are red and yellow. The red is derived from hematite and the yellow from limonite, both of which are iron rich minerals.

    Photo Credit

     
    "Red ocher, July 28, 2011" by Bob Richmond is licensed under CC BY.

    Published Works
    Term Type
    Manuscript Occurrences
    References

     
    Bailey, Flora L.
         1950   Some Sex Beliefs and Practices in a Navajo Community: With Comparative Material
             from other Navajo Areas. Cambridge: The Museum.

    Lamphere, Louise
         1969   Symbolic Elements in Navajo Ritual. Southwestern Journal of Anthropology. 25:279-
             305.

    Waldman, Carl
         1994   Ocher. Word Dance: The Language of Native American Culture. New York: Facts On
             File, Inc.