Archaeologists in York have uncovered evidence that two infants buried during the Roman period were wrapped in an exceptionally rare and costly purple cloth—material usually associated with emperors and the highest ranks of society.
The find, made by researchers at the University of York, marks the first time traces of Tyrian purple dye have been identified on textile remains in the city. Across Britain, only a small number of such examples have ever been recorded.
Tyrian purple was one of the most prized substances in the Roman world. Extracted from thousands of crushed sea snails, it was expensive to produce and closely linked with power and status. Its origins lie in the ancient city of Tyre, from which the dye takes its name.
The infants were buried around 1,700 years ago, in the late third or early fourth century A.D. One was laid to rest in a stone coffin with two adults, now displayed at the Yorkshire Museum, while the other was placed in a lead coffin.
Both burials were preserved using gypsum, a Roman funerary practice in which liquid plaster was poured over the body. As it hardened, it captured fine details—leaving behind traces of textiles and dyes that would otherwise have disappeared.
The purple colouring was not immediately visible. Instead, it was detected through laboratory analysis as part of the “Seeing the Dead” research project. According to Dr Jennifer Wakefield, who carried out the testing, the results were unexpected, revealing dye residues where none could be seen on the surface.
Researchers say the use of such a valuable material points to families of considerable means. At times, Tyrian purple could be worth several times the price of gold, making its presence in these burials particularly striking.
The discovery also adds weight to a growing reassessment of Roman attitudes to infant death. Although social customs and early laws discouraged public mourning, the care taken in these burials suggests that families still marked such losses in meaningful ways.
Professor Maureen Carroll, Project Director from the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, said: “For the first time we now have confirmation of the use of this costly dye in Roman York, indicating that the city’s wealthy inhabitants had access to expensive and exotic commodities from the other end of the empire.
“This remarkable discovery tells us a lot about the importance of children in Roman York and the willingness of the family to give their baby the best possible send-off in tragic circumstances.”
The work was carried out in partnership with the York Museums Trust, which holds the burial remains. Further analysis of similar gypsum burials in York and the surrounding region is planned, with researchers hoping to identify additional traces of dyes and textiles.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the project continues to shed light on everyday life—and death—in Roman Britain.
Sources : University of York
