An astonishing building constructed in the 16th century BCE has been discovered, showcasing a vibrant purple pigment derived from a species of Mediterranean sea snail.
According to Sci-News, this unique structure was found on the small island of Aegina located in the heart of the Saronic Gulf in Greece, a specialized purple dye workshop.
From the Neolithic period to the Byzantine era (approximately the 6th millennium BCE to the 10th century CE), the main settlement on Aegina was situated on a well-protected promontory along the Northwestern coast, known as Cape Kolonna.
The settlement became densely populated and more fortified during the 2nd millennium BCE, experiencing periods of economic prosperity and cultural flourishing.
The recently discovered dye workshop located in area K10 (marked in red) of the ancient settlement – (Photo: PLOS ONE).
The purple dye workshop that has just been excavated is one of the remarkable constructions from that golden age.
In a recent article published in the journal PLoS ONE, Dr. Lydia Berger from Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (Austria) and her colleagues provided a detailed description of this unique workshop.
The identification of this building as a dye workshop is based on multiple pieces of evidence. Firstly, purple pigment was preserved on fragments of pottery, which could be remnants of dye containers. This pigment also appeared on grinding stones and in waste pits.
Additionally, remnants of crushed shells from a Mediterranean sea snail species, Hexaplex trunculus, which is responsible for producing the purple pigment, were found scattered throughout the site.
Excavations also uncovered many charred bones of juvenile mammals, primarily piglets and lambs.
Archaeologists are unsure what significance these bones hold in relation to the workshop’s operations, but the prevailing hypothesis suggests that they are sacrificial animal remains, serving as spiritual offerings to protect the production site.
This structure provides valuable insights into the tools and processes used in producing purple dye by the Mycenaean civilization, also known as Mycenaean Greece, which represents the final phase of the Bronze Age in Greece.
Further excavations promise to reveal more information about the scale of dye production in the area, as well as details about the onsite processes and the use of this dye in regional trade.
Moreover, dyed textiles were a significant commodity in ancient trade across the Mediterranean, and the island housing this purple dye workshop was situated in a bustling maritime trade zone.
Thus, this dye workshop could provide a crucial historical insight into the region.
