lO Shells as evidence of the Migrations. 



within a few yards of the heap brought to h'ght character- 

 istic Cretan vases of the Kamares type, and the foundations 

 of a house." 



" The evidence shows that the extraction of the purple- 

 juice was practised in Crete at least as early as 1600 B.C."-' 



Tliough the PhcL-nicians were not the original dis- 

 coverers of the famous dye, they were largely instrumental 

 in s|jreading the knowledge of the art among the people 

 with whom the\' trailed. Their two great centres of manu- 

 facture were Sidon and T\'re and the large quantities of 

 broken shells around these cities testif}- to the importance 

 and extent of the industry. 



The purple of Tyre was greatly estimated and con- 

 sidtned the best in Asia.-' The dyeworks of this city 

 endured for many centuries until the end of the Roman 

 Empire. The imperial manufacture of purple at Tyre is 

 mentioned in the reign of Diocletian before 300 A.D.,'-* 

 and in 3<S3 a.D. the fabrication of puri)le of superior quality 

 became a state monopoly."' 



Among other towns of Fhcenicia cited as manufactories 

 of i)urple stuffs are Sarepta, Caesarea, Neapolis, Lydda, 

 and the port of Doros.-" The inhabitants of the island of 

 Cyprus also carried on this industry'. The Phcenicians 

 likewise introduced the knowledge into h^gypt and a 

 private manufactory is said to have existed in the t(jwn of 

 This, near Abydos, in the 7th cent. .\.I). But it is not 

 clear how the purple could have been made so far from 

 the sea. 



-- BosaiK(uet, o/^. ci/. 



■'■■■■ Pliny, ••N.H."iN., cli. 60. 



-'* Besnier, ijUDting Eiiseb, ///.s/. Ec\/,-\.. vii., p. J2. 



-•'• /di(/. (|uoling Cod. Just., iv., 40, ji. 1. 



-'• Besnier, ol'. >?■/., p. 774. Being unable to ()i)tain acixs» i>' many 

 of the works quoted hy Hesnicr. I <;i\i, tliese and oiher iircreiicts on liiii 

 authorilv. 



