Chemists have developed a way to extract natural dyes from ancient textiles while preserving the unique chemical characteristics of each dye. The technique enables the researchers to then identify the plant species from which the colorants came.
Determining the source of dyes could open a new window on how ancient people used natural resources, says chemist Richard Laursen of Boston University. What’s more, since plants grow within set geographic ranges, characterizing natural dyes could help archaeologists trace the movements of tribes or determine trade relations between distant communities.