Unique medieval plants "colored" Brussels and Malines

During excavations in Brussels and Malines, archaeologists discovered traces of gaude, garance and pastel of the dyers, the three most important tinctorial plants of the Middle Ages. These plants played a crucial role in the shade of the textile, but the archaeological traces of their use are rare. "This is the first time that we meet together the three most important tinctorial plants in Belgium," says Lien Speleers, archeobotanist at the Royal…