Ephesus, one of the most iconic cities of antiquity, renowned for its rich commercial and cultural history, has unveiled new secrets thanks to a study that connects Roman mural art with trade routes and pigment production techniques of the era. International researchers have analyzed samples of cinnabar (a bright red mineral used as a pigment) […]
Pigments
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
The Oldest Ochre Mine in the World Discovered in Southern Africa
An international team of scientists, led by researcher Brandi L. MacDonald from the University of Missouri, has confirmed the discovery of the oldest ochre mine in the world, located in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), a small country in southern Africa. Ochre, an iron-rich clay, has been used by humans for thousands of years as a pigment […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
First Ever Solid Fragment of Tyrian Purple, the Expensive Pigment Associated with Roman Emperors, Found
A significant archaeological discovery was made during the 2023 excavation at the site of an ancient Roman bathhouse in Carlisle, England. The dig, conducted by the Wardell Armstrong company, unearthed a small, mysterious piece of purple-colored substance, which later was identified as a fragment of Tyrian purple—the highly prized pigment once associated with Roman emperors. […]
