Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Colour Blue in Ancient Egypt and Sudan

From the earliest days of Pharaonic and Kushite cultures, blue was a highly valued colour. Initially sourced in the mineral world, with stones of various shades being collected and used for personal ornamentation, and later from dye plants -- whose blue hues required complex extraction -- blue became a symbol of prestige and innovation. Since blue is relatively rare in its raw natural form, synthetic methods of making blue were developed early on, leading to the creation of the colour through crafts like faience, glassmaking, and pigment production. Made and used in different ways, and invested with many meanings, the colour blue became omnipresent in material culture and architecture. This volume is a collaborative anthology exploring the significance of blue in ancient Egypt and Sudan. It brings together experts from diverse fields -- art history, archaeology, linguistics, textile and leather studies, conservation, and heritage science -- to examine the Nile Valley's material world through a 'blue lens'. The book investigates the cultural, technological, and symbolic dimensions of blue, tracing how people discovered, imitated, dyed, painted, carved, and experienced the colour. Through integrative research that crosses the boundaries of the humanities and natural sciences, the volume offers a groundbreaking perspective on colour studies, revealing how the pursuit of blue drove artistic and technological advancements across time.