Color has fascinated humankind for eons, and we have tried to wield the power of color in our own hands for almost as long. For tens of thousands of years, the colors of jewels, fabrics, and plants have dictated our ideas of health, wealth, and everything in between. Eventually, we learned how to extract the colorful essence of the natural world, and redirect it into our own sewn and woven creations using dyes. Today, it's possible to replicate just about every color perceptible to the human eye, but where did the deep purples and vibrant crimsons of the past come from?
Read on to learn about the natural origins of the dyes of the ancient world.