In a remarkable revelation, researchers have unearthed a stunning artifact, challenging our understanding of ancient beauty practices. Nestled within Iran’s Archaeological Museum of Jiroft since 2001, an exquisite lipstick vial, crafted between 1936 and 1687 BCE, emerges as the oldest lipstick ever discovered.
Beauty trends may come and go, but one enduring makeup staple throughout millennia has been deep red lipstick. From ancient civilizations to modern times, people of all genders have adorned their faces with this iconic shade, making it a timeless classic in the world of cosmetics.
Recently, archaeologists have made a fascinating discovery: the oldest physical evidence of lipstick known to date. Carbon dating places this ancient cosmetic artifact between 1936 and 1687 B.C. It consists of a small stone vial found in Iran, containing a Bronze Age version of dark red lipstick. It is believed that this early lipstick was likely applied using a brush, shedding light on the ancient origins of this enduring beauty practice.
“It is important to note that in the present state of knowledge, we hypothesize a lip-paint, rather than a solid lipstick,” Massimo Vidale, one of seven scientists who studied the substance, said in an email.
Resembling a contemporary tube of lipstick, the cylindrical container holding the presumed lip paint was discovered in 2001 within a 3rd millennium B.C. burial site near the Halil River in Kerman Province, southeastern Iran. Vidale and his team of researchers conducted a detailed examination of the container, and their findings were published last month in a study in Scientific Reports.
“It is always a sudden revelation,” said Vidale, a professor of archaeology at the University of Padua in Italy. “Even more, because the substance under our eyes matched perfectly with the very unusual form of the fine stone container, so close to the lipstick cases of our days.”
It’s ironic that the first known lipstick specimen was found in Iran, a country that banned cosmetics like lipstick and nail polish following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Though restrictions have been relaxed, many women — including government workers and medical students — are still prohibited from wearing makeup.
