Dye: Did you mean...?

Batavian revolt was a rebellion of the Batavians against the Romans in 69-70 CE. After initial successes by their commander Julius Civilis, the Batavians were ultimately defeated by the Roman general Quintus Petillius Cerialis. The year...

The treasure ship Madre de Deus (aka Madre de Dios) was a Portuguese vessel carrying hugely valuable cargo from the East Indies which was attacked and captured by a fleet of English privateers in the Azores in September 1592 CE. The ship...

Caesarea Maritima was located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Built from the ground up in 22-10 BCE by Rome's client king, Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE), its location in relation to ship traffic and proximity to historical...

The Ulunsuti tales of the Cherokee deal with the mystical jewel, the Ulunsuti ("transparent"), a diamond on the forehead of the great horned serpent Uktena. The Ulunsuti appears in several Cherokee legends, but the story is developed through...

Certain materials have always been precious such as gold for its lustre, incorruptibility, and ease to work but some ancient cultures often gave a very high value to more unusual materials. The Romans loved Tyrian purple dye, the Incas prized...

Bison skulls piled at Michigan Carbon Works in Rougeville, outside of Detroit, Michigan, USA, 1892. The bones were processed for various commodities such as glue, dye, and fertilizer. Burton Historical Collection, Detroit Public Library...

An 1894 illustration showing the uniform of a Grenadier, 40th Foot regiment, 1767. The soldier is wearing his famous "red coat" made with cochineal dye. From R. H. Raymond Smythies (1894). Historical Records of the 40th (2nd Somersetshire...

An 18th-century illustration showing a Mesoamerican using the traditional method of collecting insects to make the prized cochineal dye. (The Newberry Library)

A prickly pear cactus (nopal) with the parasite insect Dactylopius coccus which is used to make cochineal dye.

Examples of the Murex haustellum brandaris shellfish, one of the sources of Tyrian purple dye.