Archaeologists in England Found an Ancient Purple Dye Once Worth More Than Gold
It would be fun to be an Archaeologist! You should have seen how excited I was when I went shark tooth hunting, I can’t even imagine how exciting an archaeology dig would be!
In England, Archaeologists found a mysterious purple lump and it turns out that this was at one time worth more than gold.
The lump was actually a very rare purple dye that was used in ancient times. Its name is Tyrian Purple.
The purple pigment was tested with the support of British Geological Society and further analysis is ongoing with Newcastle University. Experts from Newcastle University have now concluded that the pigment is organic and contained levels of Bromine and beeswax – this almost certainly indicates it is Tyrian Purple, the colour associated with the Imperial Court in the Roman Empire.
Wardell Armstrong
They found it during an excavation of a Roman bathhouse in 2023. This vibrant purple pigment is made from crushed seashells from the Mediterranean, North Africa, and Morocco.
This was extremely difficult to make and very expensive to produce. It’s crazy to think that a pigment was worth more than gold back then.
