World’s oldest lipstick discovered in Iran, where makeup was banned

“It is important to note that current knowledge assumes a lip paint, not a solid lipstick,” says Massimo Vidail, one of the seven scientists who studied the substance. he said in an email.

This cylindrical container, very similar to a modern lipstick tube, containing suspected lip paint, was recovered in 2001 from a 3rd millennium BC cemetery near the Khalil River in southeastern Iran’s Kerman province. excavated.Vidale and his research team recently investigated containers and published their results last month. Published in a study in Scientific Reports.

“It’s always a sudden revelation,” says Vidale, a professor of archeology at the University of Padua in Italy. “Moreover, because the material under our eyes was a perfect match for a fine stone container of a very unusual shape, very close to the lipstick cases of the time.”

It’s ironic that the first known lipstick specimen was discovered in Iran, a country that banned cosmetics such as lipstick and nail polish after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Although restrictions have been eased, many women, including civil servants and medical students, are still prohibited from wearing makeup.

Vidale said the contents of the vial had been reduced to a powder by dehydration after more than 3,700 years. The research team reported that the dark pigment was clearly visible under a microscope, indicating that the original product was a “deep red color.”

Using environmental scanning electron microscopy, scientists were able to determine the makeup of the cosmetic product. It is characterized by a large amount of hematite, a ferric oxide mineral, and its name comes from the Greek word for “blood” due to its red color. The contents also include vegetable oils and waxes, which are also used in today’s lipsticks.

“When you put these together, this is exactly what you would expect from a modern lipstick,” Bidale writes.

The history of lipstick use dates back over 5,500 years.According to ancient texts, Queen Puabi (Also known as Shub-Ad) Ur of Mesopotamia was the first person to paint his mouth. According to a 2006 paper by Sarah Schaefer published by Harvard University, Sumerian kings likely used a mixture of lead white and crushed red rock to treat the erythema on his lips around 3500 BC. Much of the queen’s life remains a mystery, so it’s unclear what effect those toxic cosmetics had on her queen’s health.

Ancient Egyptians were also known to use lipstick for ceremonial, funerary, and everyday purposes. A famous illustration from around 1150 BC depicts a woman applying what appears to be cosmetics to her lips. The painting, known as Turin Papyrus 55001, depicts a young Egyptian holding a brush in one hand, a mirror in the other, and what appears to be a “thin round-bottomed cylindrical cosmetics jar.” It is similar in size and shape to Iranian containers. , according to an article in Scientific Reports.

Bideir and his fellow researchers, who researched the lipstick with support from the Universities of Tehran and Padua, as well as the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies in Rome, discovered the lipstick in the Giloft collection when team member Nasir Eskandari discovered it. That’s when I became interested in this small bottle. Archaeological Museum of Iran. At the time, its purpose was unknown. The container was originally unearthed in 2001 when the Khalil River flooded the ancient cemetery, exposing numerous artifacts. Many items were looted but later recovered by Iranian security forces.

At about two inches tall and three-quarters of an inch wide, this stone vial is slightly smaller than a modern lipstick tube. The hand-carved container is made of chlorite and has a hole in the top for accessing the contents. Its chiselled features give it the appearance of marsh reeds and provide clues to its purpose.

“Its shape mimics a portion of a marsh cane, so it is very thin and easy to handle,” Bidale told The Washington Post. “At that time, people used common cane parts as cases and containers, but this one is made of high-quality stone.”

It is believed that this vial was used by the Jiroft culture. This Bronze Age civilization was unknown until the cemetery flood in 2001. Its capital is believed to have been the city-state of Markhashi, mentioned in ancient texts but not yet identified.

“What we know today is that this civilization was an advanced civilization similar to Mesopotamia, a major player in long-distance trade and military enterprise, with its own writing system, large cities and powerful It was ruled by an authoritative ruler,” Bidale said. “The rest is gradually being revealed through new excavations.”

It is unclear exactly how and by whom this lipstick was used. Because the vial was buried in a grave, Bidale speculated that it may have been part of a funeral ritual.

“We are groping in the dark here,” he wrote. “Although it is believed that the dead were decorated for their final journey, it is also believed that cosmetics are important personal possessions used on a daily basis and cannot be used by others after an individual’s death.” You can.”

The discovery demonstrated to Vidale and his team how closely modern society resembles the so-called primitive civilizations of yore.

“The evidence supports a simple point: the world of the Early Bronze Age, when the first cities became the political bases of powerful, hierarchical states, was already very similar to our own.” he wrote.