Trunculariopsis trunculus

Figure L Shells of marine snails used in purple dyeing. Left to right banded dye-murex (Trunculariopsis trunculus) for hyacinthine purple (tekhelet), spiny dye-murex (Bolinus brandaris) for Tyrian purple (arga-man), and the rock shell Thais haemastoma for Tyrian purple (argaman).

In regard to the technical feasibility of having obtained hyacinthine purple from Trunculariopsis trunculus in antiquity, Doumet (16) recently demonstrated that he could dye wool with the crushed shells, following the procedure of Tyre as described by Pliny the Elder, who visited Judea in person. Only techniques and materials available to ancient artisans were used in this experiment. 

Tekhelet hyacinthine purple 6,6 -dibromoindigotin, indigotin Trunculariopsis trunculus... 

Purple snails besides Murex brandaris (for reddish-purple, each on the right), Trunculariopsis trunculus [31] (for bluish-purple each on the left), Murex erinaceus and Purpura haemostoma may also be used for the preparation of Tyrian purple. By the South Harbour of Saida in Lebanon (Sidon in the ancient world) the beach, 25 metres in breadth and hundreds of metres long, is covered to a depth of several metres with shells of Trunculariopsis trunculus. 

Archaeological remains dyed with an indigo tin and 6,6 -dibromoindi-gotin mixture corroborate the view that antique tekhelet was prepared from Trunculariopsis (Murex) trunculus (8). 

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