A study conducted at the University of Haifa and published in the journal PLOS One presents direct evidence of tools used to produce the prestigious purple dye during the Iron Age, between 1100–600 BCE, partly corresponding to the First Temple period.
The evidence includes large pottery basins stained with dye, grinding stones, and additional tools used in the process. The findings allow researchers to reconstruct the stages of dye production and understand how dyeing workshops operated at the site. "This is the first time we can reconstruct the form of the vessels used in the purple dye industry and how they were used in the production and dyeing process," Dr. Golan Shalvi said, who led the research on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa and the University of Chicago, together with Professor Ayelet Gilboa from the University of Haifa.
Tel Shiqmona, located on the coast of Haifa, was one of the important production centers for purple dye, a rare and prestigious color used by kings, nobility, and temples throughout the Levant. The site served as a purple production center under the control of the Kingdom of Israel during the Omride and Jehu dynasties, and was apparently the largest of its kind in the region. The research findings indicated that this dye was produced at the site in commercial quantities, transferred to neighboring countries, and perhaps even used to dye fabrics used in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The findings discovered in the current research at Tel Shiqmona provide direct evidence of the extensive scope of the purple dye production industry. Dozens of large pottery basins were uncovered, which were apparently used to produce the dye and dye threads or fleeces. Reconstruction of the vessels reveals they were about 3.28 feet tall, had a volume of about 92.5 gallons, and their diameter ranged between 1.97 and 2.62 feet – dimensions that allowed for immersion of whole wool fleeces.
Data analysis indicates that the use of these basins enabled a particularly efficient and continuous work process. "For the first time, we are identifying a complete production system in which significant quantities of purple dye were produced in dedicated vessels," Professor Gilboa said. "The fact that in certain periods at least 16 basins were used simultaneously indicates that Shiqmona was a production center on an exceptional scale for its time."
Comparing the data to additional sites, including Tel Dor, Tel Kabri, and Sarepta in southern Lebanon, shows that similar production methods existed at other sites along the Levantine coast. However, Tel Shiqmona provides the earliest and most detailed evidence of the production process over the longest time span in the Iron Age, strengthening its importance as a central production site during this period. These findings contribute to understanding the economic and technological connections between the Kingdom of Israel and neighboring kingdoms, and allow comparison to additional production methods that developed throughout the Levant.
"The discovery of vessels used to produce purple dye is not merely a technical matter. It provides new insights into the scale of the industry, the extent of luxury goods trade, and background for the initiative and economic strengthening of the Kingdom of Israel, which became a significant power in the region. This is part of the background to the Bible stories reflecting the power of the Kingdom of Israel," Dr. Shalvi explained.
The research was funded by the Shelby White and Leon Levy Foundation, Haifa Municipality, the Hecht Foundation, the Israel Science Foundation, the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, and the Fulbright Foreign Student Program. The article was written by Golan Shalvi from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa and the University of Chicago, as well as by a large group of researchers from universities in Israel and worldwide.
