The Diversity of Dyes in History and Archaeology

Natural and synthetic dyes have been used to color textiles, wood, leather, bone, paper, stone and other substrates from the earliest times. They have also been used for inks and in pigment preparation and therefore have also been used in painting. The history of the use of dyes can be approached from many different points of view: the technology of dyeing; the cultural significance and importance of different colors or different dyes; the trade in dyes between countries and continents; the economics of dyes; the cultivation or husbandry of the plant and animal sources of dyes; the discovery of the early synthetic dyes and the growth of chemical industries; the use of dyes in pigment making; the deterioration and conservation of dyes; the scientific analysis of dyes. The papers published here (presented at recent Dyes in History and Archaeology meetings) have set out to capture this variety and breadth of content and approach to the subject of dyes and dyeing.