Rare pigment worth more than its weight in gold found in Roman infant burials in York, UK

"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 intense purple dye was among the most prized luxuries of the Roman empire, made in specialist dye works in Tyre, modern-day Lebanon, by crushing millions of murex sea snails."

"It is estimated that it took up to 12,000 of the molluscs to produce one gram of the dye, and it was literally worth more than its weight in gold."

"York has the largest group in the UK of the 'gypsum burials', a funeral rite still not fully understood by archaeologists."

Two infants buried in York, UK, were wrapped in Tyrian purple cloth, a luxury of the Roman Empire. This rare find indicates the high status given to children in Roman York. The discovery is part of the Seeing the Dead project, which studies unique burials in the area. The use of Tyrian purple, made from murex snails, signifies the family's desire to honor their children despite societal norms regarding infant mortality. York is noted for its gypsum burials, a practice that preserves body impressions.

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