Ancient Can of Cream Found in Roman Temple
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Scientists have unearthed a small tin canister dating back more than 1,800 years in an excavated Roman temple in London that contains a sophisticated white cream that could rival today’s cosmetics.
“It is quite a complicated little mixture,” said Richard Evershed, an analytical chemist at the University of Bristol in England.
The scientists, who reported the findings in the journal Nature, said the whitish cream consisted of about 40% animal fat -- most likely from sheep or cattle -- 40% starch and tin oxide.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
