Natural materials have been used to produce dyes and colorants throughout much of human history. The red juice derived from cochineal insects has influenced cultures and artistic practices throughout the world since the 16th century. Pericón, or wild marigold, which is indigenous to Mexico and known for its medicinal uses, is a source of a beautiful yellow dye. In the ancient Zapotec culture, color is an outcome of a deeply spiritual relationship with nature, one in which the spiritual understanding of the cochineal insects, for example, is deeply entwined with the creation of the color red.