An analysis of hundreds of textile fragments discovered in the Judean Desert has revealed that 2000 years ago, the clothing of was often dyed not with expensive purple from murex sea snails, but with a mix of cheap plant dyes—madder and woad.
This research indicates that the ancient Roman world had a thriving industry for counterfeit luxury items. This finding was reported by scientists from the (IAA), the authors of the discovery.
The Illusion of Elitism
The new work by Israeli researchers shows that there was a market for counterfeits in ancient Roman society—convincing imitations of branded status items. Purple, which could only be afforded by the wealthiest individuals in the empire, can undoubtedly be considered the brand of its time.
Clothing in ancient times was never just functional. It was associated with wealth and ambition. The quality of the fabric, decorative motifs, and especially color mattered. Just one shade could mark the boundary between the elite and the rest of the population, as reported by Arkeonews.
And no color was perhaps as prestigious as royal purple. This dye, obtained from the murex trunculus snail (and several related Mediterranean sea snails), was distinguished by its rarity, high cost, and complex production process.
“Dyeing with murex was a labor-intensive process that required a large number of snails. Today, we can identify the unique molecular composition of murex to determine whether the fabric was truly dyed with the most prestigious dye of the ancient world,” said Dr. Naama Sukonik, curator of the IAA’s organic materials department and a leading expert on ancient dyes.
Charlatan Technology
Laboratory analysis of counterfeit fabrics has proven that deep purple shades are the result of double dyeing with two plants that were widely used in the ancient Near East. This includes madder (Rubia), from which red dye was obtained, and woad (Isatis tinctoria), which produced a blue dye often referred to as “Near Eastern indigo.”
View of fabric with plant dye particles under a microscope
By carefully dipping the fabric into a bath of madder and then into a bath of woad (or vice versa), it was possible to create a rich shade that visually could not be distinguished from royal purple. This process required skill but did not involve the use of sea snails or complex chemical extractions.
“Double dyeing helped create an exquisite imitation that could easily be mistaken for genuine royal purple. Madder and woad were widely available, significantly cheaper, and easier to work with than murex snails,” explained Dr. Sukonik. Thus, an illusion of status was created for a fraction of the cost.
The Legacy of the Counterfeit Market
This discovery sheds light on an ancient phenomenon that seems remarkably modern. People who wanted to appear fashionable could obtain counterfeit without paying exorbitant sums.
The number of found counterfeits indicates that such practices were common and accepted in ancient Rome. Interestingly, this was not a Roman invention. A Babylonian cuneiform tablet from the 7th century BCE described a recipe for imitating expensive purple.
“Human nature hasn’t changed,” says Dr. Sukonik. “Even in ancient times, people wanted to appear as if they belonged to the upper social class. The use of artificial dyes made this possible.”
