MovieChat Forums > Apocalypto (2006) Discussion > White powdered workers?

White powdered workers?


Can someone explain what those slaves/workers were doing that causes them to be covered with all that white powder/dust?

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Does it mark them as ones infected with some disease? They seemed to be weak, thin, very dejected, and no one wanted to acknowledge them within their own tribe. Then when the hero is first escaping, he runs through all those dead bodies--were they covered in dust or just dead? Sorry to just have more questions! ;)

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I believe the white dust was lime.

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They were workers
covered in their working material

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They were slaves building a new temple made from lime. The dust was the limestone building material. They were breathing it in and it was killing them which is why they showed the guy coughing up blood like that. But them being slaves they were expendable and easily replaced.

Being a slave in ancient times was one of the worst existences known to man. They were forced to do only the worst and most dangerous jobs and if they disobeyed in the slightest they were killed with no compunction.

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its a lime stone mine,hence the lime stone dust, its shown clearly in the movie

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I think it was protection against the sun cause they were working with heavy work out in the sun whole days and that white powder helped to minimize the heat.

~If the realistic details fails, the movie fails~

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Lime, dust, you really need that explained? Lol wtf

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I thought about that too, it seems like we're the only ones diggin it ;DD... south america.... white powder...maybe the producer was referring to something ;) ...maybe he is a fan ..hahah...shout out to mel gibson

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