As a trained art historian with an interest in fabric arts, I get excited about ancient dyes that were made from natural materials: Tyrian purple, which was derived from a few species of sea snails; lichens in England and Ireland that produced a variety of greens; and a variety of plants and minerals that created a deep indigo. Despite all my study, I couldn’t figure out what was used to create the saturated red of the hats, mantles and skirts of the indigenous women up in th