Exhibition in Puerto - Romans obtaining purple dye from snails on Lobos!

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Found this article in Island Connections:
ROMAN REMAINS
The colour purple
Archaeologists from the University of La Laguna, and Fuerteventura and Tenerife's Cabildos, have discovered that the islet of Los Lobos, close to Fuerteventura, was a Roman site for the extraction of precious purple dye between 1.BC and 1.AD.
Imperial Purple was extracted from Murex snails and used exclusively by royalty because of its rarity and quality.  Probably first used by the Phoenicians as early as 1570 BC, it was greatly prized because the colour did not easily fade, but instead became brighter with weathering and sunlight.
The name Phoenicia itself means 'land of purple'.  Children born to a reigning emperor were said to be porphyrogenitos, or, "Born in the purple".
Murex secrete the substance as egg lining, when attacked by predators, or poked by humans.  Collection was either by, ‘milking` snails, labour-intensive but sustainable, or by crushing them.
We read that, “Twelve thousand snails of murex yield no more than 1.4 g of pure dye, enough to colour only the trim of a single garment”.  Hence its great value before purple was chemically reproduced.  4th-century-BC historian Theopompus reported, "Purple for dyes fetched its weight in silver at Colophon" in Asia Minor.
This recent Los Lobos discovery questions the traditional situation of the ‘Purple Islands` in Mogador, as mentioned by Pliny, and stretch known limits of Roman interests in the Eastern Atlantic.  An exhibition until November 29 in the Centro de Arte Juan Ismael, in Puerto de Rosario, Fuerteventura, gives an inside look at the findings. 


The Centro de Arte Juan Ismael is in Calle Almirante Lallermand (the one that runs from the port out through El Charco area - INSS office is at the beginning of the calle) and is on the right hand side a little way along, No 30 I believe.

[woe10]

That's really interesting. Fuerteventura wasn't just famous for Purple dye, but Red dye also.

The Cochineal (cochinillo) beetle lays it's lavae on the prickly pear cactus, and the only place it can grow outside its native Mexico is the dry, desert climate of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 

Cochineal was used by the Aztecs for centuries for red dyeing, and was brought to Europe in the sixteenth century following the Spanish conquest. The parasitic insect feeds on the leaves of prickly pear cacti that are especially grown for its cultivation.
As the Spanish discovered, when they conquered Mexico in 1521, the cochineal insect, when crushed, yielded a supreme scarlet dye, which the Aztecs had long used in the production of exquisite textiles.  The dye would become an added incentive for Spain in its Mexican conquest.  The cochineal â€" the Spanish held the origin of the dye secret for years â€" produced a major cash export from Mexico, second only to silver and gold.

The cactus was introduced to Fuerteventura from Mexico in the middle of the 19th century to supply the European textile industry with red dye and was the mainstay of the island`s economy until the market collapsed with the introduction of synthetic dyes.

Over time and across Europe, it would bring the color scarlet to royalty`s garments, military uniforms, national dress, cosmetics, various foods, and even Michelangelo`s palette. 

Due to its non-toxicity it is still widely used for a range of products including lipstick, sweets, toothpaste and Campari, although it pays a heavy price for the privilege. Some 70,000 cochineal insects are required to manufacture a 1/2 kg. of the dye. The remains of the farm buildings are still there by the cactus fields.

In late summer, the cacti are full of the Prickly Pear Fruits which you can buy in the supermarkets, and are made into jams, relishes and lots more.
Don't pick them with your bare hands as the spines are impossible to get out.

There's a big Cochineal Cactus plantaion at the roundabout in Triquivijate. Now defunct.

[duncolm]

Went to see the exhibition a couple of weeks ago. On one level it's just some broken pottery and rusty nails, but it's well presented and, after thinking about where the relics were found, I came away quite impressed.

The centre is out beyond the INSS office, opposite a petrol station. Once you get in it's not obvious where to find the exhibition. Go to the stairs at the rear and up to the first floor.

[fifi]

Hi Tamara I was showing your article to my eldest son. He is an Archaeologist. He was telling me that the purple dye extracted from the shells was more valuable than gold back in those days. Irish Monks used to collect the dye also from a variety of the Murex shell and use it to embellish their manuscripts.

[TamaraEnLaPlaya]

Hi Fifi
Perhaps this all explains why lots of Irish and Italians come to Fuerte!  Taking their hols where their ancestors did - the original tourists? LOL
Unfortunately the weather put me off going to Puerto so I missed the exhibition - wish I had found out about it a week or two ago.