Undergraduate student Fish Fish presents a poster at spring 2026 American Chemical Society meeting

Fish Fish, a rising fourth-year student majoring in classics and biology at Case Western Reserve University, presented a poster titled “Dyeing for chemistry: An exercise in creating ancient colors from natural sources” at the spring 2026 American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting in Atlanta earlier this year. 

The poster is the result of Fish’s interdisciplinary work on the project “Ina išāti tuṣād: An exploration of ancient Babylonian chemical techniques,” conducted by Maddalena Rumor, associate professor in the Department of Classics, and Rekha Srinivasan, senior instructor in the Department of Chemistry. 

Fish’s work shared the outcomes of a series of dyeing experiments designed to replicate the vibrant colors described on an ancient cuneiform tablet found in Sippar, Iraq, dating to the Neo-Babylonian period (circa sixth century BCE). The tablet contains instructions for dyeing natural wool in luxurious reds and purples using inexpensive materials. The dye recipes, however, are difficult to interpret due to the fragmentary nature of the tablet and the obscurity of its technical terminology. 

To reconstruct the dyes, the team carried out a series of dye extractions from plants such as indigo, safflower, madder, beetroot and tamarind, as well as from insects such as cochineal and kermes. The wool was then dyed using these extracts, both with and without mordants. Additionally, the team explored various combinations of over-dyeing with multiple colors, leading to unexpected results.

Fish’s presentation was selected by ACS division program chairs for additional presentation at the Sci-Mix session, “Science communication: Past, present, and future.” This interdivisional poster session and mixer showcases the most exceptional submissions accepted by participating divisions at the conference.