Modern women may be enhancing their beauty with a formula that dates back thousands of years to the Middle East – a marvelous treasure that has just been unveiled.
This treasure is a lipstick container unearthed in the city of Jiroft, located in southeastern Iran. It is referred to as a treasure because the analysis yielded a series of shocking results, making the lipstick container evidence of a “timeless” world in ancient Middle Eastern civilization.
According to Live Science, this lipstick container appeared in a remarkably interesting way.
In 2001, a flood on the Halil River swept through several cemeteries in the area, which date back to the 3rd millennium BC.
The rushing water pushed this beautiful container – likely from the tomb of an ancient Middle Eastern beauty – close to the surface, along with many other grave goods.
The treasure recently excavated in Iran includes a beautiful lipstick container and shimmery orange-red lipstick inside – (Photo: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS).
Many items from this naturally unearthed collection have been stolen, but archaeologists were fortunate enough to find the lipstick container.
After decades of research, it has been revealed as a unique treasure, as the dating process shows the artifact is nearly 4,000 years old.
In that era, a makeup container – which seems commonplace for women today – was not just a luxury item but also a significant invention.
After thousands of years in a deep tomb, the lipstick inside the container still retains its bright orange-red color along with a beautiful shimmer.
Analyses indicate that it is a mixture created using hematite – a brilliant red oxide mineral – ground up and blended with other minerals like maganite and braunite.
Finely crushed quartz particles were added to the mixture to produce the shimmering effect. Additionally, there are traces of plant fibers that may have been included to create a fragrance.
“There is an astonishing similarity to the way modern lipsticks are made” – researchers acknowledged in a scientific article published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Another interesting coincidence is that the shimmery orange-red color is also one of the “hot trend” shades recently.
The lipstick container is made from fine chlorite stone, mimicking the shape of containers made from a type of native marsh reed.
Although the specific ancient tomb from which this treasure was revealed cannot be identified, ancient records indicate that it was a personal item of ancient Iranian women.
Records also show that they used another type of black powder called sormeh for eyeliner and henna painting, as well as specialized cosmetics for dyeing hair and skin.
This treasure not only serves as evidence for ancient descriptions of Middle Eastern beauties with dark, heavily lined eyes and red lips but also as proof of a remarkable civilization thousands of years ago.
