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A specific goethite-based brown/orangeish pigment detected on the Codex Mendoza deserves further explanation. As mentioned above, this pigment contains arsenic, but it is difficult to say if this last element indicates the mixture of ochre with orpiment or if it was contained in the natural earth. Nevertheless, it is extremely interesting to note that a very similar, if not identical, material has been detected on the Beinecke Map, where it was interpreted by Magaloni Kerpel (2012, 87) as evidence of the use of orpiment. On the other hand, Newman and Derrick (2012, 97) apparently favored the idea that arsenic naturally occurs within the goethite.

The last innovative element is cinnabar. Despite being widely used in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica for various purposes, according to our current data, this material was not used as a painting material on pre-colonial codices. On the other hand, cinnabar has been detected on colonial manuscripts such as the Beinecke Map, Codex Florentinus, and the Meztitlan Map (Haude 1998; Newman and Derrick 2012; Giorgi, Chelazzi, and Magaloni Kerpel 2014; Domenici, Miliani, and Sgamellotti 2019; Domenici et al. 2018). Interestingly enough, in these post-1560 manuscripts cinnabar was used as a painting material, while in the Codex Mendoza its usage was restricted to a written gloss. This limited usage suggests that it was a fairly recent introduction, still not accepted as a component of a proper pictorial palette, and confined to the realm of alphabetic writing shared with the European-introduced gall inks.