Emily Chan
Ancient fragments of fabric colored with red dye were found in a desert cave, and they serve as evidence of the oldest known piece of fabric made with insect dye.
They date back about 4,000 years ago and may have represented wealth and status in Middle Bronze Age societies.
The textiles were discovered in 2016 in Israel’s Cave of Skulls, located west of the Dead Sea in the Judaean Desert.
Excavations at the site have yielded over 430 textiles from various time periods. The finds were well-preserved due to the cave’s dry and relatively stable conditions.
Recently, a team of researchers conducted an analysis of a pair of red wool and linen fabrics from the cave.
The fragments of fabric were tiny, measuring no more than 0.6 inches, and dated between 1954 and 1767 B.C.E. The team used new techniques to examine the textiles, like High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography.
They determined that the fabric’s red dye was made from the dried bodies of a species of parasitic scale insect, Kermes vermilio.
The insect is known to burrow into oak trees and feast on their sap. In the ancient world, they were highly valued, as scarlet was one of the most precious and expensive dyes.
“Luxurious red dyes were derived from various species of scale insects, particularly those belonging to the Coccoidea superfamily,” wrote the researchers.
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