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| Indigo Dye in Blocks (photo Wild Colors natural dye) |
It is not known exactly how and when the desire for Indigo, often called Blue Gold, became associated with wealth and social status. Around 2400 BC. linen mummy wrappings with indigo dyed borders were found in ancient burial sites. In India even earlier archaeological sites unearthed four different varieties if indigo seeds and evidence of large scale farming operations growing indigo. Trade routes used by Marco Polo around 1200 noted indigo as part of its cargo making its way across China to Europe. The Indigo trade was so competitive that merchants often tried to add extra weight inside the dried indigo cakes to maximize their profits. Indigo was considered so valuable that European explorers raced to expand their trade routes and grapple for control of available Indigo and the countries that produced it. The history of European involvement and subsequent outcome of their influence on acquiring Indigo is a long and often ugly story fueled by the desire to have more Blue Gold.
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