Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings
The production and use of the pigment extracted from the murex molluscs is discussed here in association with the purple textile dyeing industry in the Prehistoric Aegean. “True” purple has been identified in a number of archaeological finds dating from the early Late Bronze Age, found in old and re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Heritage |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/1/10 |
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| author | Sophia Sotiropoulou Ioannis Karapanagiotis Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos Toula Marketou Kiki Birtacha Marisa Marthari |
| author_facet | Sophia Sotiropoulou Ioannis Karapanagiotis Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos Toula Marketou Kiki Birtacha Marisa Marthari |
| author_sort | Sophia Sotiropoulou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The production and use of the pigment extracted from the murex molluscs is discussed here in association with the purple textile dyeing industry in the Prehistoric Aegean. “True” purple has been identified in a number of archaeological finds dating from the early Late Bronze Age, found in old and recent excavations at three different but contemporary sites: Akrotiri and Raos on Thera, and Trianda on Rhodes. The chemical composition of the shellfish purple pigment either found in lump form or applied on wall paintings is discussed in relation to the archaeological context of several examined finds and with reference to Pliny’s <i>purpurissum</i>. The results of a comprehensive methodology combining new data obtained with molecular spectroscopies (microRaman and FTIR) and already reported data obtained with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC–DAD) applied to samples of the murex purple finds are discussed in comparison to published data relating to few other instances of analytically proven murex purple pigment found in the Aegean over the timespan of its documented exploitation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:46:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4c5350cae2f842b2b1e7afe62af16628 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2571-9408 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:46:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heritage |
| spelling | doaj.art-4c5350cae2f842b2b1e7afe62af166282023-12-03T13:14:56ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082021-01-014117118710.3390/heritage4010010Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall PaintingsSophia Sotiropoulou0Ioannis Karapanagiotis1Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos2Toula Marketou3Kiki Birtacha4Marisa Marthari5Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (FORTH-IESL), N.Plastira 100, 70013 Vassilika Vouton, Crete, GreeceUniversity Ecclesiastical Academy of Thessaloniki, 54250 Thessaloniki, GreeceDepartment of Physics, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, GreeceMinistry of Culture, 22nd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Ippoton Street, 85100 Rhodes, GreeceThe Archaeological Society at Athens, Excavations at Akrotiri, Thera, Tholou 10, 10556 Athens, GreeceMinistry of Culture, 21st Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities, Epameinonda St., 10555 Athens, GreeceThe production and use of the pigment extracted from the murex molluscs is discussed here in association with the purple textile dyeing industry in the Prehistoric Aegean. “True” purple has been identified in a number of archaeological finds dating from the early Late Bronze Age, found in old and recent excavations at three different but contemporary sites: Akrotiri and Raos on Thera, and Trianda on Rhodes. The chemical composition of the shellfish purple pigment either found in lump form or applied on wall paintings is discussed in relation to the archaeological context of several examined finds and with reference to Pliny’s <i>purpurissum</i>. The results of a comprehensive methodology combining new data obtained with molecular spectroscopies (microRaman and FTIR) and already reported data obtained with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with a diode array detector (HPLC–DAD) applied to samples of the murex purple finds are discussed in comparison to published data relating to few other instances of analytically proven murex purple pigment found in the Aegean over the timespan of its documented exploitation.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/1/10Late Cycladic Ibrominated indigoidsMuricidaemurex<i>purpurissum</i>true purple |
| spellingShingle | Sophia Sotiropoulou Ioannis Karapanagiotis Konstantinos S. Andrikopoulos Toula Marketou Kiki Birtacha Marisa Marthari Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings Heritage Late Cycladic I brominated indigoids Muricidae murex <i>purpurissum</i> true purple |
| title | Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings |
| title_full | Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings |
| title_fullStr | Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings |
| title_short | Review and New Evidence on the Molluscan Purple Pigment Used in the Early Late Bronze Age Aegean Wall Paintings |
| title_sort | review and new evidence on the molluscan purple pigment used in the early late bronze age aegean wall paintings |
| topic | Late Cycladic I brominated indigoids Muricidae murex <i>purpurissum</i> true purple |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/1/10 |
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