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1. Lipstick tube
2. Ink pot
3. Blowgun
4. Knife handle
5. Scroll case
Answer: 1. Lipstick tube
This small, 2.5-inch-tall vial carved from greenish chlorite stone was recovered from an ancient burial ground in south-eastern Iran that was partially exposed during recent flooding. Inside the tube, archaeologists found traces of a powdery residue that is mostly hematite, a mineral that produces a deep red color. They believe the original substance, possibly a liquid or paste, was a cosmetic product, most likely an early form of lipstick. Radiocarbon dating indicates the tube was in use sometime between the 20th and 17th centuries BCE.
Interestingly, unlike other ancient cosmetics, the product contained only a negligible amount of lead. Experts theorize that the craftspeople who made the lipstick were cognizant of lead’s toxic properties and deliberately left it out of the mixture. Other substances in the lipstick included plant fibers and tiny particles of quartz crystal, which may have provided a shimmering or glittering effect when the cosmetic was applied.
The lipstick vial and other artifacts, now housed in the Jiroft Archaeological Museum in Iran, were part of the funerary deposits exposed by the flooding. Cosmetic products were frequently interred with the deceased in antiquity. Although little is known about the cultural background of the buried individuals, they were likely associated with the kingdom of Marhashi, which is referenced in Mesopotamian sources.
. Lipstick tube 2. Ink pot 3. Blowgun 4. Knife handle 5. Scroll case Answer: 1. Lipstick tube This small, 2.5-inch-tall vial carved from greenish chlorite stone was recovered from an ancient burial ground in south-eastern Iran that was partially exposed during recent flooding. Inside the tube, archaeologists found traces of a powdery residue that is mostly hematite, a mineral that produces a deep red color. They believe the original substance, possibly a liquid or paste, was a cosmetic product, most likely an early form of lipstick. Radiocarbon dating indicates the tube was in use sometime between the 20th and 17th centuries BCE. Interestingly, […]
