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What is it?
This small, intricately decorated cylindrical vial, measuring 6.7cm long and 1.9cm in diameter, is made of a greenish chlorite-schist and contains a deep red cosmetic mixture believed to be lip paint. The container, which comes from Iran, shares some similarities with other chlorite artefacts found in the same region, but its specific size and shape are distinct, perhaps suggesting that ancient cosmetics may have had particular packaging or branding to make them easily identifiable, just like they do today. The slender shape of the vial means that it could have been held comfortably in the same hand as a mirror, while the other hand was used to apply pigment to the lips, as is seen in some papyrus paintings from Egypt.
Where was it found, and when?
The vial originates from the Jiroft region in south-eastern Iran. It was among a number of archaeological artefacts brought to the surface in 2001 when flooding in the area disturbed several Bronze Age graveyards. Thousands of these objects were looted, but many finds – including the lipstick – were later recovered by local museums. Recently, a team of researchers carried out various analyses to find out more about the vial and the pigment within. They were also able to radiocarbon date the object to the early 2nd millennium BC, making it compatible with a powerful civilisation known as the Marhaši, which is referred to in several Mesopotamian cuneiform texts and has recently begun to be identified in the archaeological record.
Why does it matter?
The discovery of the lipstick is an important addition to the study of ancient cosmetics. This is a previously overlooked field that is increasingly being recognised for the insights it can offer into a range of areas, including chemical-processing and metallurgy, as well as into social attitudes towards personal appearance in the past.
To date, most ancient cosmetics found across the Near East and in Egypt have been either black eyeliners or light-coloured compounds used as foundation and eyeshadow. This find offers a valuable opportunity to analyse the cosmetics used for colouring lips instead. The analysis of the pigment revealed a recipe very similar to that of modern lipsticks, comprising various minerals that produced a dark red colour (most importantly, haematite), as well as several waxy substances, and plant fibres that may have been used to scent the mixture. Interestingly, unlike most other cosmetics found in the ancient Near East, this lip paint contains minimal amounts of lead minerals. We can only hypothesise, but it is possible that ancient lipstick creators were aware of the dangers of ingesting lead.
In addition, the object represents the first radiocarbon date obtained from a Bronze Age cosmetic in the ancient Near East, as well as a possible addition to the archaeological record of the Marhaši civilisation, which has started to emerge in recent years.
FIND OUT MORE: The vial is on display at the Archaeological Museum of Jiroft. The recent research has been published in Scientific Reports (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-52490-w).
Text: Amy Brunskill / Photo: University of Padova and ISMEO, Rome
