FAST Lecture | Dyeing to Know: Studying Colors in Karanis Textiles

Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year is Mocha Mousse, a color Pantone says, “nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.” While Kelsey Museum conservators are fairly sure that Mocha Mousse was not a favorite color in Roman Egypt—a culture that, sadly, also had no experience of either chocolate or coffee as delectable comfort foods—Pantone’s Classic Blue (2020) and Viva Magenta (2022) would have been strong contenders.

In this talk, Kelsey Museum Conservator Suzanne Davis will present initial findings from a study of dyes in textiles from the Roman Egyptian town of Karanis, Egypt. This study is a subset of a larger project to look at color in the Kelsey Museum’s collections. Among other things, it has revealed that the textile workers of Karanis were highly sophisticated in their application and manipulation of color and that favorite colors for embellishing fabrics were a classic navy blue, a bright and bold red, and a wide range of pinks and purples—all skillfully modulated to achieve specific decorative effects.

This event will take place in Room 125 of the Kelsey Museum’s Newberry Hall. Light refreshments and food will be provided before the lecture, which will begin at 6 PM.

FAST (Field Archaeology Series on Thursday) lectures are free and open to the public. If you have any questions or concerns regarding accessing this event, please visit our accessibility page at https://myumi.ch/zwPkd or contact the education office by calling (734) 647-4167. We ask for advance notice as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.