Not long ago, ruins were discovered on the uninhabited island of “Lobos,” named after the sea wolves that once lived there. Excavations began after pottery shards and the remains of many shells indicated that there must have been settlements here. Historians are now certain that this island off the coast of Fuerteventura served as a laboratory 2,000 years ago for the labor-intensive production of purple dye for the Roman Empire. Thousands of snails were processed here to yield just one gram of dye.
It’s surprising how closely the red used for dyeing is connected to this place. Purple snails, dyer’s lichen, and cochineal… “Tierra roja, tierra de luz,” goes a song from Lanzarote.
Red Land, Land of Light.
A place where valuable goods traveled long, long distances.
