A piece of Tyrian purple, a pigment as rare as it was sought after in antiquity, known for its extraordinary value superior even to that of gold, was recently unearthed. The discovery occurred in 2023 during excavations at the Carlisle Cricket Club site in the north of England.
Here archaeologists were exploring the remains of a imposing building with adjoining thermal bath dating back to the 3rd century AD, under the empire of Septimius Severus. This particular fragment, characterized by an intense shade of purple and an unusually soft texture, was immediately sent for analysis at the University of Newcastle (but what did the ancient Romans eat?).
Studies confirmed that the organic pigment contained in the fragment included bromine and beeswax, hallmarks of Tyrian purple. Obtaining this color in ancient times was a difficult task: it was necessary to grind thousands of Mediterranean molluscsa laborious process that gave the color an exceptional value, a symbol of royalty and power.
The rarity of such material in the United Kingdom, especially in a region as far from the Roman Empire’s nerve centers as the Mediterranean, adds particular fascination to this discovery. It is thought that this fragment of purple might be connected to the historic visit of Emperor Septimius Severusborn in modern-day Libya and known for his journey to the Roman province of Britannia in 208 AD with the intention of strengthening Hadrian’s Wall.
By the way, here is the perfume used by the Romans in ancient times.
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