The Chemistry of Fabric Dyes
Chemical Reactions of the King of Colors: Indigo

by Deborah Gangnon

In this module students explore indigo and its use as a fabric dye in India and Africa in the Ptolemaic period (c.305 BCE to 30 BCE). The dye was produced in a vat process, where chemical reactions included fermentation, reduction and oxidation. Students explore chemical reactions and the process of science from the perspective of cultures and times unfamiliar to them.

Open Word document.