Agenda

Speaker: Laura Longo, Assegnista DAIS

Abstract:
Flora Tinctoria (Latin for “dyer’s plants”) refers to the broad category of botanical species used to produce natural colors, pigments, and dyes. This concept is central to ethnobotany, encompassing the study of plant-derived chromophores found in leaves, roots, bark, berries, and flowers traditionally utilized by human societies. Prior to the advent of synthetic dyes in the mid-19th century, plant-based dyes represented the primary source of coloration for textiles, food, medicine, and body art—often symbolizing wealth and status through their rarity and vibrancy. The transformation of dye plants into usable pigments relied on intricate, culturally transmitted techniques grounded in both chemistry and traditional knowledge. Common dyeing processes included maceration or pounding (to release pigments from fresh materials), boiling or simmering (to extract soluble color compounds), and fermentation (notably for indigo-producing species such as Indigofera tinctoria and Persicaria tinctoria). Most natural dyes are adjective in nature, requiring mordants or chemical intermediaries to fix color to fibers. The study of Flora Tinctoria thus bridges botany, chemistry, and cultural history, illuminating the deep interconnection between humans and their chromatic botanical heritage. A case-study will be presented dating back this practice to more than 36.000 years ago.

Bio sketch:
Laura Longo is a Research Grant Holder at DAIS. Holding an MSc in Natural Sciences and a PhD in Anthropology, her primary research focuses on using a powerful cross-methodological approach to study past human behaviors through the functional and residue analysis of stone tools, connecting material culture to broader issues of human evolution and environmental contexts. She is particularly interested in use-wear traces, biogenic residue analysis, and the visualization of cultural heritage.