Humans have always been concerned with aesthetics and beauty, as a recent discovery of an ancient lipstick found in Iran shows. The lipstick was found inside a small container made of greenish chlorite bearing an intricate design with fine incisions. The markings on the vial suggest that the lipstick may have been marketed the same way cosmetic products are today, with a particular branding and packaging.
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The researchers believe that the size and shape suggest that it might have been held alongside a mirror with one hand while the other free hand would be holding an applicator like a brush. Such a practice was possibly commonplace during that time as evidenced by an illustration on the Turin Papyrus 55001 which showed an Egyptian woman applying lipstick with a similar kind of vial that the team discovered.
As for the formulation of the lipstick, an analysis of the vial and the traces of materials left on it, the team found that several mineral ingredients were used in making the lipstick. These include ground hematite, quartz, braunite, anglesite, and a tiny crystals of galena, a lead mineral. It was the presence of hematite, which accounted for more than 80% of the sample, that suggested that this artifact must have been a cosmetic product as the mineral produced a deep red color.
More than this, the analysis also indicated that vegetal fibers were present in the sample, which could have been used to make the lipstick fragrant. At the moment, no connections have yet been made regarding who might have used the lipstick or in which contexts, but further excavations in the graveyards in the region may reveal such details.
If more evidence can be unearthed showing that these cosmetic artifacts are somehow related to female burials, the researchers say that it might indicate how this technology influenced the social dynamics of those times, and that women may have felt the pressure associated with the changing times.
(Image credit: F. Zorzi)
Source: neatorama