Archaeologists in the Jiroft region of southeastern Iran have uncovered a remarkable discovery. Among numerous artifacts looted and later recovered, a small chlorite vial has been found containing a deep red cosmetic preparation believed to be an ancient form of lipstick.
Credit: Archaeology News Online Magazine
The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, reveal that the mineral components of the reddish substance include hematite, darkened with manganite and braunite, along with traces of galena and anglesite. These were mixed with vegetal waxes and other organic substances, resembling closely the recipes of contemporary lipsticks.
The discovery, dated to the early 2nd millennium BCE, provides valuable insight into the ancient civilization of Marḫaši, mentioned in coeval cuneiform texts of Mesopotamia.
“So far, for the world of 5000-4000 years ago, we knew about makeup recipes, eyeliners, and eye shadows but not about lip paints.” Professor Massimo Vidale, one of the authors of the study and a professor of archaeology at the University of Padua in Italy, told Bored Panda in an email.
The chlorite-schist vial and its content. (a) the carved chlorite vial containing the cosmetic preparation. (b) Mineralogical composition of the cosmetic preparation. Enhanced in false colors. Credit: Eskandari, et al., Sci Rep (2024)
The ancient Iranians’ sophisticated knowledge of chemical processing and their use of diverse metal ores likely contributed to the complexity of their cosmetic products. The Jiroft civilization, believed to be the ancient polity of Marḫaši, flourished in a valley rich with diverse lithic resources, providing favorable conditions for the development of advanced cosmetics.
