>At 05:53 PM 5/15/98 EDT, you wrote:
>>        Yes, the Zapotec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico use the Purpura patula
>>pansa in dying their yarns for weaving.  But, instead of destroying the
>>animals, like the Romans & Middle Eastern peoples did, the Zapotecs remove
>>the animal, squeeze the "juice" from the mantle and return the animal to
>>its rock, to be harvested again the following year.
>------------------------------
>Dear Dan:
>I know I read about this once before--it may have been in one of Dr.
>Tucker's books--but my understanding was that the indians allowed the shells
>to secrete their juice on the outward-bound trip in the morning, then
>collected more of the secretion on the way home in the evening.  Are you
>sure that it is done only once a year?
>        Also, do you know if the natives are still using this kind of dye?
>Or has it given way to artificial products as everthing else has?
>Thanks,
>Stew Jones
 
Stew,
        As you probably guessed, this procedure is very time consuming so
most of the women are now buying pre-made cloth that is a similar purple
color, but, there still are a few "Dye-Hards" that are still dying in this
way.  If you can find this kind of purple cloth (woven) you have a real
treasure.  I don't know of the inward-outward bound story.  Interesting?
        Dan
 
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