Roman snail dye found in UK for the first time (www.bbc.com)
from ZeroCool@vger.social to archaeology@mander.xyz on 04 May 2024 12:36
https://vger.social/post/896734

A rare dye made from snails for the robes of the Roman elite almost 2,000 years ago has been unearthed at a cricket club.

The chunk of Tyrian purple, roughly the size of a ping pong ball, was dug up at Carlisle Cricket Club as part of ongoing yearly excavations.

A Roman bathhouse was discovered at the site in 2017 and in the last three years 2,000 items including pottery, weapons, coins and semi-precious stones have been found.

#archaeology