Ancient Chromophores and Auxiliaries: Phrygian Colorants from Tumulus MM at Gordion, Turkey, ca 740 BCE

This paper discusses colorants found in Tumulus MM, the tomb of King Midas or his father, at Gordion, capital Phrygian kingdom. Chromophores, colorants, and auxiliaries are preserved largely independent textiles they once colored. The MM now fragmentary due to degradation processes that occurred inside chamber. For DHA 26 (Vienna, Austria, 2007), we discussed a group golden-yellow fragments from appeared be tabby cloth but were skeletal lattices goethite, αFeOOH (yellow ochre), as identified by FTIR, with SEM/EDS, XRD molybdenum Kα radiation, NIR, Raman spectroscopy. “dyeing” has been replicated using patented method; originally it may have involved controlled redox reaction, based on our preliminary experiments. Amidst goethite lattices, some green, near-black lines within yarn spiral, indigo FTIR time. Other masses colorations red, orange/brown, purple deep red veins did not yield identifiable inorganic coloration profiles SEM/EDS. A fragment (2003-Tx-6 Front) was assayed ICP-MS for mordants bromine, neither could found. Recently, direct analysis real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) enabled us successfully detect organic colorants. one fragment, indoxyl, isatin, indigo, leuco-indigo identified. One striated red-to-brown (2003-Tx-3) contained alizarin, purpurin, xanthopurpurin, lucidin, other madder substituents; also indigo/isatin indoxyl nor leuco-indigo. beige-brown like 2003-Tx-5 sometimes rubiadin, lucidin rarely purpurin indigo-related compounds. (2003-Tx-6) shared analogues browner hues. versatility appears related Anatolian pile carpets flat weaves. Our new analyses confirm textile colorists indeed superb, versatile dyers.