Revealing sassanid dyeing practices through synchrotron FTIR

This study employs synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy and principal component analysis (PCA) to investigate natural dyes in wool textiles from the Chehrabad salt mine (Iran), dated to the Sassanid period (220-390 A.D.). We identified indigotin (blue), tannic acid (brown), quercetin and apigenin (yellow), and alizarin and carminic acid (red), with the absence of luteolin suggesting alternative native dye sources. Spectral analysis revealed dye-wool lipid interactions in the Amide and lipid regions, providing insights into Sassanid dyeing technologies and regional dye variations. Synchrotron FTIR proves a powerful non-destructive tool for archaeological textile analysis.