Emily Chan
“There is a black paint residue on the tip of the find. These are called kohl. It is an ornamental tool. This shows that Aegean women 8,200 years ago also cared about their ornaments, were fond of their beauty, and took care of themselves,” said Derin.
The research team conducted a mineral analysis of the kohl pen and identified manganese oxide in the black residue, which was an ingredient in kohl.
Previously, a container meant for storing makeup and personal ornaments was excavated at the site.
People would fill the container with paint and dip a sharpened stone pencil into it to apply their makeup. The method is still used today in some parts of Anatolia.
The discovery is not the first time that evidence of kohl usage and personal ornamentation has been identified in Turkey, but it is a first for the particular region.
Kohl may not have been used exclusively for cosmetic reasons. According to ancient Egyptian texts and paintings, kohl was also used to treat eye diseases.
Not counting the newfound kohl pen, the earliest example of kohl usage comes from ancient Egypt in 3100 B.C.E.
