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Substantial-Can9805 t1_jbr492k wrote

Reply to comment by Bkwrzdub in The colors on these ancient pots hint at the power of an empire by egg_static5

Do they use pee too or did they have a less stinky method?

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Bkwrzdub t1_jbr4olm wrote

We had plants available in the region that would be foreign to Europe that were suitable as an organic dye.

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RanOutofCookies t1_jbrzsxq wrote

Apparently all the expensive dyes (blue, purple) were extremely stinky, even years after washing the fabrics.

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War_Hymn t1_jbsag6y wrote

Yep, they mixed the crushed snails with urine to make the dye. The urine (or the ammonia in it) acted as a mordant to fix or bind the dye to the fabric, so all that expensive purple dye won't get leached out when you washed it.

Needless to say, you probably won't want to live near a dye works back in those days.

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