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Tours: Dyeing and Fashion
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Learn how ancient Greeks made the dyes that colored their clothes and accessories.
In Greece, fabric and clothing were colored using natural dyes from shellfish, insects, and plants.
Skilled craftsmen across the Greek world extracted dyes from these sources and combined them with other substances to create a variety of colors.
The dyeing process supposedly produced incredibly pungent smells, and ancient writers would often comment on the stink in their works.
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The craft of leatherworking became very common in the Classical period.
While the Greeks had plenty of cattle to provide skins for leather, they preferred to import hides from trading centers Like Thrace, Kyrene, and Sicily. Most tanneries operated on the outskirts of populated areas due to the strong smell.
Tanning began with cleaning and softening the hides by soaking them in water, then pounding them to remove flesh and fat. Afterwards, the skins were soaked in water mixed with urine or covered with an alkaline lime to loosen the hair, which was then scraped off with a knife. Following this, they were softened in a vat of water mixed with animal dung, then beaten and kneaded. Finally, the hides were stretched on frames and immersed in a mixture of water and crushed tree bark, which made them softer, water-proof, and resistant to bacteria.
Murex is the generic name for three species of mollusks that reside in the Mediterranean.
The substance they secrete was used by craftsmen to create the most expensive dyes in the ancient world, the most famous of which was "Tyrian Purple".
Fishing techniques varied depending on the type of mollusk.
In shallow waters, fishermen could simply dive and catch the mollusks, but they set traps if the water was too deep.
Being carnivorous, murex were often lured using dead animal flesh as bait.
It was imperative that the mollusks be captured alive, as they only secreted the precious purple liquid needed for dyes upon death.
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The craft and trade of dyeing was believed to have originated in Krete before becoming widespread in Classical Greece. Due to the need for marine mollusks, most dyeing-related activities took place in coastal areas.
During the Classical period, there were large-scale dyeing workshops in Athens and Olynthos. The towns of Meliboea in Thessaly and Hermione in Argolis were also renowned for their dyes.
The Greek writer Pausanias estimated that half the population of Boulis - a town in Phokis - dedicated themselves to fishing for purple-producing mollusks. He also praised the Lakonian coast for having the best seashells for producing purple dye. The island of Kythera off the Lakonian coast even became known as the "purple island".
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