The History of Colours and the Meanings People Have Given Them

A The use of colours has a long history in human development. Prehistoric paintings in caves were found to contain yellow and red earth, white chalk, and a black made from the soot of burned animal fat. Over time, new colours were invented, using a wide range of materials and processes; for example, Chinese yellow was made from the resin of the gamboge tree, and saffron yellow in India from a flower, the Crocus sativus. Archaeological evidence tells us that these societies did not cooperate...