The bright red lip paint was discovered in a small decorated vial in Iran and may be the world’s oldest known example, dating back more than 3,700 years.
In a rare discovery that dates back more than 3,700 years, a bright red lipstick has been discovered.
The cosmetic was discovered in Iran in a small decorated vial and may be the world’s oldest known example. The lip paint was unearthed in 2001 in the Jiroft region of southeastern Iran, but recent radiocarbon dating suggests it may have been made as far back as 1687 BC.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, said: “Finally, the deep red cosmetic was found to be compatible with lip colorants, perhaps the best ever analytically reported. It is the earliest.” The mineral component of the reddish material was confirmed to be hematite, an oxidized mineral that produces a bright red color. “The mixture thus observed bears a striking resemblance to modern lipstick recipes,” the study states.
This archaeological site was first discovered in the 3rd millennium BC when the Khalil River (Kerman province, southeastern Iran) flooded its basin and struck several graves. “After the rich burials surfaced, local residents engaged in prolonged open-air looting, during which thousands of valuable artifacts were stolen and poured into the antiques market,” the study said.
Many precious stone and copper artifacts were later recovered by Iranian security forces and eventually placed in the Jiroft Archaeological Museum and other public collections in Kerman and Tehran. Although the exact provenance of the recovered finds remains unknown, both their unmistakable style and consistent assemblages suggest that the majority of the recovered sections belong to a local Early Bronze Age civilization, namely ancient Markhasi. I can go home with confidence.