Roman snail dye found in UK for the first time
Roman snail dye found in UK for the first time
www.bbc.com Roman snail dye found in UK for the first time
Experts say the pigment was worth more than gold and used to dye the clothes of imperial figures.
A rare dye made from snails for the robes of the Roman elite almost 2,000 years ago has been unearthed at a cricket club.
The chunk of Tyrian purple, roughly the size of a ping pong ball, was dug up at Carlisle Cricket Club as part of ongoing yearly excavations.
A Roman bathhouse was discovered at the site in 2017 and in the last three years 2,000 items including pottery, weapons, coins and semi-precious stones have been found.
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What's a semi precious stone? I've read the article and seen the pictures, but still don't know. Is it stones that are pretty but with little monetary value?