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Colouring the Mediterranean: Production and Consumption of Purple-dyed Textiles in Pre-Roman Times

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Marín-Aguilera, Beatriz 
Iacono, Francesco 

Abstract

Purple textiles were highly valued in the ancient Mediterranean as a symbol of prestige, social status and power. Despite the numerous publications focused on the production and spread of purple dye technologies, the discussion regarding this particular dye has often been compartmentalised regionally (eastern or western Mediterranean) and chronologically (second or first millennium bc). The aim of this paper is threefold: (1) to propose a full chaîne opératoire for the production of shellfish-purple-dyed textiles; (2) to synthesise the archaeological evidence on production and consumption of such textiles in the entire Mediterranean before the Romans; and (3) to discuss the social implications of the production and consumption of these textiles, to gain a better understanding of their economic and social significance.

Description

Keywords

dyeing, textiles, Bronze Age Mediterranean, chaine operatoire, democratisation, globalisation, Iron Age Mediterranean, shellfish-purple

Journal Title

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0952-7648
1743-1700

Volume Title

31

Publisher

Equinox Publishing
Sponsorship
European Research Council (312603)
ERC