A small stone jar discovered in southeastern Iran contained a red cosmetic that was probably used as lip coloring nearly 4,000 years ago, according to archaeologists.
This rare find is “probably the first example” of lipstick documented and scientifically analyzed, researchers reported in February in the magazine scientific reports.
More than 80 percent of the sample analyzed was composed of minerals that produce a deep red color, mainly hematite. The mixture also contained manganite and braunite, which have dark hues, as well as traces of other minerals and waxy substances obtained from vegetables and other organic substances.
“Both the intensity of red coloring minerals and waxy substances are, surprisingly, fully compatible with contemporary lipstick recipes,” the study authors noted.
It is not possible to exclude the possibility that the cosmetic was used in other ways, for example as rouge, according to the study’s lead author, Massimo Vidale, an archaeologist at the Department of Cultural Heritage at the University of Padua in Italy. But he said the deep, homogeneous red color, the compounds used and the shape of the vial “suggested to us that it was used on the lips.”
It is one of the first examples of an ancient, Red-colored cosmetic to be studied, he said, although it was unclear why lipstick-like cosmetic preparations were uncommon in the archaeological record.
“We have no idea, at the moment. The deep red color we found is the first one we found, while several lighter colored foundations and eyeshadows had been identified before,” she said via email.
The use of hematite (crushed red ocher) had been documented on stone cosmetic palettes from the late Neolithic, as well as on ancient Egyptian cosmetic vessels, according to Joann Fletcher, a professor in the department of archeology at the University of York. If the jar from Iran was the first lipstick, “it all comes down to what this new discovery was actually used for,” she said.
“It is possible that the contents of the vial were used as lip color. But they could also have been applied to add color to the cheeks, or for some other purpose, even if the bottle looks like a modern lipstick tube,” Fletcher, who was not involved in the research, said in an email.
It is “very plausible” that the artifact was a lipstick, said Laurence Totelin, a professor of ancient history at Cardiff University’s School of History, Archeology and Religion, specializing in Greek and Roman science, technology and medicine.
“As the authors point out, the recipe is no different from a modern recipe. The deep red color is also what we would expect from lip makeup,” Totelin, who was not involved in the study, said by email.
“That said, the ingredients are also regularly found in the preparation of ancient medicines, and the vial has a shape that is not incompatible with a pharmaceutical use,” Totelin said.
The bottle containing the almost 4,000-year-old cosmetic was made of greenish chlorite and had carved decoration. (M. Vidale / F. Zorzi via CNN Newsource)
Floods reveal artifacts
Other products previously unearthed in Egypt and the Middle East and studied by archaeologists have included black kohl eyeliners and lighter colored compounds used as eyeshadows or foundations. Unlike other ancient cosmetics, the concoction in the vial had a low lead content. This low level, the researchers suggested, could mean that lipstick makers understood the dangers of consuming lead, a naturally occurring toxic metal that can cause numerous health problems.
“There is a long and hard debate among experts about the toxicity of lead compounds in cosmetics,” Vidale said.
Previous research on artifacts from the same region. in which Vidale participated “suggests that 5,000 years ago white lead was the base material for facial makeup bases, while the content of our intense red preparation, supposedly intended for the lips, contained almost no lead. It could have been a conscious choice,” he stated.
The preparation contained particles of quartz, ground sand or glass, perhaps added, the study suggested, as a “brightening agent”, although it was possible that they came from inside the vial itself, which was finely crafted from a greenish stone. . called chlorite.
It’s also unclear what the original consistency of the cosmetic would have been: fluid or more solid, Vidale said.
“The slender shape and limited thickness of the vial suggest that it could have been held comfortably in one hand along with the handle of a copper/brass mirror, leaving the other hand free to use a brush or other type of applicator,” the authors wrote. of the study. , citing as an example an ancient Egyptian papyrus dating from the 12th century BC. C. which represents a young woman painting her lips in this way.
The artifact was among thousands of items unearthed in Bronze Age tombs and tombs in the Jiroft region of Iran. The tombs —part of an ancient kingdom known as Marhasi—were exposed and dislodged in 2001 when a river overflowed, after which its precious contents were looted and sold by locals. Iranian security forces later recovered many stone and copper objects, including the vial.
The vial is preserved at the Jiroft National Archaeological Museum, where the team took samples.
“Like a bolt from the blue, this civilization was discovered… when a disastrous flood swept through its ancient cemeteries, exposing all sorts of archaeological treasures,” Vidale said.
“Now the region is well protected, but serious damage was done,” he added. “What we know today is that it was an advanced civilization similar to the Mesopotamian, a major player in long-distance trade and military enterprises, that used its own writing system and was governed by large cities and powerful, authoritative rulers. . The rest is emerging little by little from new excavations.”
It is not clear who would have used the lipstick or in what context. “As far as we know, in tombs of the time cosmetics were regularly placed near the faces of the deceased,” Vidale said.
However, given the looting and destruction of the tombs, researchers have been unable to link the artifact to specific human remains.