A rare archaeological object – believed to be the only one of its kind in Roman times – has been discovered in Carlisle, England.
Ai remains of the Roman baths at Carlisle Cricket Club An extremely rare piece of Tyrian purple dye, also called Tyrian purple, the first of its kind ever discovered in northern Europe and perhaps in the entire Roman Empire. Let’s discover together how much this discovery is worth and why it is so important.
Worth More Than Gold in Roman Times: The Discovery
The Roman settlement of Luguvalius It dates back to the 3rd century, during the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus. The discovery was made in the drainage section of a monumental structure, believed to be a Roman bathhouse.
Known as “imperial purple”, Tyrian purple was an extremely valuable dye in ancient Rome due to its rich and vivid color, which it denoted imperial authority, wealth and status. It took a lot of resources and even a lot of manpower to produce even small quantities, as it was made from thousands of crushed sea snails (Bolinus brandaris) from the Mediterranean. Such rarity and exclusivity meant that it was more valuable than gold, sometimes up to three times more in weight.
After its discovery, the pigment was further studied by specialists inNewcastle University and analyzed with the assistance of British Geological Society. The analysis showed that the pigment had a high content of bromo and of cera d’apidemonstrating, almost certainly, that it was Tyrian purple.
Where Tyrian purple was produced in ancient times
The discovery is very important, as – rarely – Tyrian purple is found in a solid state; the paint used in murals or on high-ranking coffins, such as those discovered at Pompei and in theRoman Egyptis the most common form of discovery of Tyrian purple.
It was produced mainly in the city of Number, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, from which it takes its name. Tire is located in modern-day Lebanon. It was also produced in North Africa and on the Moroccan coasts.
Kings and emperors dressed in Tyrian purple from the Bronze Age to the Persians, the Byzantines, Charlemagne, but also Alexander the Great and Cleopatra VII, up to, of course, the Romans. Sometimes the dye was used on clothes, but also to paint the walls of public buildings and the homes of the rich, but also the walls of maritime establishments.
Frank Gieccotechnical director of Wardell Armstrong, underlined the importance of this finding, stating that “For millennia, Tyrian purple has been the most expensive and coveted color in the world.” And, thanks to this new discovery, we can admire it in its ancient splendor.
