Archaeologists Discover Rare 2,000-Year-Old Tyrian Purple Dye Worth More Than Gold

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Archaeologists Discover Rare 2,000-Year-Old Tyrian Purple Dye Worth More Than Gold

Carlisle, UK - Archaeologists and volunteers have made an extraordinary discovery during the excavation of a Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, northern England. Analysis has revealed that a purplish substance found on a piece of soft material contains beeswax and bromine, indicating that it is a solid form of Tyrian purple dye, a highly valued artificial pigment in ancient times.

The Dye of Kings

Tyrian purple was extracted from marine snails found in the Mediterranean Sea. The production process was arduous, requiring the collection of thousands of snails; it is estimated that up to 12,000 snails were needed to produce just one gram of dye. As a result, Tyrian purple was extremely expensive during the Roman era, even more valuable than gold, and was reserved for the elite.

"For millennia, Tyrian purple was the most expensive and most desired color in the world," said Frank Giecco, an archaeologist at Wardell Armstrong, the excavation contractor in Carlisle. "Finding a solid example, as we did in Carlisle, is exceptionally rare. This is the only example we know of in northern Europe and possibly the only example of a solid lump of unused pigment from anywhere in the Roman Empire."

Phoenician Origins

Tyrian purple was first produced in the 2nd millennium BC by the Phoenicians, an ancient Mediterranean civilization based in the coastal Levant region. The most famous production center was Tyre, a city in modern-day Lebanon and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited settlements. Tyrian purple was also produced in other parts of the Mediterranean, including North Africa.

Possible Uses

According to Sarah Irving, a spokesperson for Cumbria County Council, which partnered with Wardell Armstrong on the excavation project, the Tyrian purple in Carlisle was likely used for painting murals. It could have also been used to decorate the walls of important public buildings, elite homes, and villas, and may have even been used to dye clothing.

Summary

The discovery of solid Tyrian purple dye in a Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, England, is a rare and significant find. The dye was highly valued in ancient times and was used for a variety of purposes, including painting murals and decorating elite homes. This discovery provides valuable insights into the trade networks and cultural practices of the Roman Empire.

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