For most women, red lipstick is a symbol of power and strength. As it turns out, this classic cosmetic is also an ancient one.
Bronze Age Lipstick
In 2001, archaeologists excavating an ancient site in Kerman province in southeastern Iran made a remarkable discovery when they found a 3,700-year-old tube of red lipstick from a looted gravesite in the Jiroft region. It gives a glimpse into the beauty practices of the distant past, providing insight into the sophistication of ancient societies.
Recent radiocarbon dating has revealed that the Bronze Age cosmetic artifact was made somewhere between 1936 and 1687 B.C., making it the earliest lipstick that is analytically reported. The details of the discovery are discussed in the paper "A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran."
The lipstick was contained in a tiny, decorated chlorite vial. According to the researchers, the advanced age of lipstick is not all that surprising considering the long-standing tradition of cosmetics in ancient Iran. Black kohl eyeliners, eye shadows, and foundations have all been identified in the ancient Near East and Egypt. However, deep red pigments have remained elusive until the recent discovery of ancient lipstick.
After almost four millennia, the residue left in the vial now resembles a fine purple powder. Chemical analysis of this substance suggests that the lipstick contains hematite, which is known for its intense red color. It was darkened with braunite and manganite and was completed with traces of anglesite, galena, and other organic substances. The archaic cosmetic concoction also contains vegetal fibers, likely due to their aromatic properties.
Further investigation reveals the presence of quartz particles taken either from ground sand or crystals. Researchers also suggest that a bit of shimmer was added to the cosmetic, although another explanation is that the quartz flaked off the decaying tube.
The research team noted that the mixture bears a striking resemblance to the ingredients of modern-day lipsticks. The intricate decorations in the vial enhanced with fine incisions also support the idea that cosmetic products in ancient times were branded, packaged, and traded. They were probably contained in standard types of tubes with specific forms in order to allow easy visual identification, like in the case of contemporary perfumes and cosmetics.
Ancient Cosmetic Industry in the Middle East
A growing number of analytical studies have recently focused on Late Chalcolithic to early Bronze Age cosmetics. These studies have revealed previously unknown chemical processing methods that combine ancient metallurgy and organic chemistry.
It is actually common to discover prehistoric stone flagons containing similar substances in Mesopotamia, Iran, Anatolia, and Egypt. Even in southern Central Asia, innovative techniques were used to produce lead-white, cerussite-based cosmetics on a large scale.
The complexity of the early Iranian recipes may have been favored by the greater complexity of the poly-metallic outcrops that mark large geological regions of the central Iranian Plateau. In burial contexts, the frequent offering of cosmetic flagons to the deceased indicates that the aesthetically constructed social personae were believed to survive the physical death of an individual.
Check out more news and information on Cosmetics in Science Times.
