A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran
Abstract A small chlorite vial, discovered among numerous artifacts looted and recovered in the Jiroft region of Kerman province, southeastern Iran, contains a deep red cosmetic preparation that is likely a lip-coloring paint or paste. Through analytical research involving XRD (X-ray diffraction), S...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52490-w |
| _version_ | 1797274931209175040 |
|---|---|
| author | Nasir Eskandari Eugenio De Carlo Federico Zorzi Stefano Dall’Acqua Claudio Furlan Gilberto Artioli Massimo Vidale |
| author_facet | Nasir Eskandari Eugenio De Carlo Federico Zorzi Stefano Dall’Acqua Claudio Furlan Gilberto Artioli Massimo Vidale |
| author_sort | Nasir Eskandari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract A small chlorite vial, discovered among numerous artifacts looted and recovered in the Jiroft region of Kerman province, southeastern Iran, contains a deep red cosmetic preparation that is likely a lip-coloring paint or paste. Through analytical research involving XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM–EDS (scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy), and HPLC–MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) analyses, the mineral components of the reddish substance were identified as hematite, darkened with manganite and braunite, and traces of galena and anglesite, mixed with vegetal waxes and other organic substances. The mixture, thus observed, bears a striking resemblance to the recipes of contemporary lipsticks. We also report the first radiocarbon date ever obtained from a Bronze age cosmetic in the ancient Near East: results place the pigment in the early 2nd millennium BCE, a date compatible with several mentions of the powerful eastern-iranian civilization of Marḫaši in coeval cuneiform texts of Mesopotamia, as well as with its currently emerging archaeological picture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:07:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5e8eb88f3a3245d69ab0b6bedcff1a06 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:07:11Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-5e8eb88f3a3245d69ab0b6bedcff1a062024-03-05T18:52:36ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-02-011411710.1038/s41598-024-52490-wA Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern IranNasir Eskandari0Eugenio De Carlo1Federico Zorzi2Stefano Dall’Acqua3Claudio Furlan4Gilberto Artioli5Massimo Vidale6Faculty of Archaeology, University of TehranUniversity Hospital PaduaDepartment of Geosciences, University of PaduaDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of PaduaDepartment of Geosciences, University of PaduaDepartment of Geosciences, University of PaduaDepartment of Cultural Heritage, University of PaduaAbstract A small chlorite vial, discovered among numerous artifacts looted and recovered in the Jiroft region of Kerman province, southeastern Iran, contains a deep red cosmetic preparation that is likely a lip-coloring paint or paste. Through analytical research involving XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM–EDS (scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy), and HPLC–MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) analyses, the mineral components of the reddish substance were identified as hematite, darkened with manganite and braunite, and traces of galena and anglesite, mixed with vegetal waxes and other organic substances. The mixture, thus observed, bears a striking resemblance to the recipes of contemporary lipsticks. We also report the first radiocarbon date ever obtained from a Bronze age cosmetic in the ancient Near East: results place the pigment in the early 2nd millennium BCE, a date compatible with several mentions of the powerful eastern-iranian civilization of Marḫaši in coeval cuneiform texts of Mesopotamia, as well as with its currently emerging archaeological picture.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52490-w |
| spellingShingle | Nasir Eskandari Eugenio De Carlo Federico Zorzi Stefano Dall’Acqua Claudio Furlan Gilberto Artioli Massimo Vidale A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran Scientific Reports |
| title | A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran |
| title_full | A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran |
| title_fullStr | A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran |
| title_short | A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran |
| title_sort | bronze age lip paint from southeastern iran |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52490-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nasireskandari abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT eugeniodecarlo abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT federicozorzi abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT stefanodallacqua abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT claudiofurlan abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT gilbertoartioli abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT massimovidale abronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT nasireskandari bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT eugeniodecarlo bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT federicozorzi bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT stefanodallacqua bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT claudiofurlan bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT gilbertoartioli bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran AT massimovidale bronzeagelippaintfromsoutheasterniran |