21. What was Tyrian dye and why was it important?

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Tyrian dye was a desired purple dye made from sea snails called murex. It took thousands of snails to make a pound of the coveted dye, which was why it was so expensive. The dye was so costly that it could only be afforded by kings and nobles. This is why purple is known as the royal color, because only royals wore it, due to the high cost. Archaeological data shows that the snails were collected in large tanks and crushed completely. The dye was also precious because it did not fade, but became brighter with weathering and sunlight.

http://www.ancient.eu/article/196/

Manual page 117

Allison Biegel