Culture Ark · D-1603 · Design · Browse the gallery · The full 2,000-pick list
Original educational diagram, not a photograph. Generic original container schematic. The Met’s object 30.8.150 supplies a documented material example, not the exact proportions drawn here.
Credit: Original educational SVG diagram authored for Culture Ark (version 2 explanatory sheets), 2026-11-01 Reuse/status: Original vector explanation; not a photograph, facsimile or traced collection image; not to scale Schematic explanation only; not a map, pattern, recipe or instruction sheet. Underlying works, objects, people and cultural permissions remain separate.
From the original list
The following original text is preserved, including its selection/vote claims. Preservation is not independent verification of every assertion.
Why: The dark eyeliner of Egyptians, still worn across Africa and Asia.
What to preserve: Egyptian eye makeup, surma
Year and origin: c. 3100 BC · Egypt
Vote: 3/9 (historian 1 · future kid 1 · curator 1)
Learn more: Kohl (cosmetics) on Wikipedia
Explanatory sheets
2 original explanatory sheets prepared for this pick, each with its own diagram. Codes in square brackets such as [A] point to the numbered sources at the end of the page.
Read the vessel without reenacting its use
A documented Egyptian example. The Metropolitan Museum of Art records a New Kingdom kohl tube and applicator, about 1550–1300 BCE, made with faience, gold and hematite. Its rod served as both closure and applicator. That is one surviving object, not a universal model for all eye cosmetics across Africa and Asia. [K1]
Container and contents are different evidence. A vessel can survive after its contents have changed or disappeared. Catalogue material, form, inscription, archaeological context and collection history separately from any chemical identification. A dark powder cannot be identified safely by color, name or visual resemblance. [K1, K2]
Names do not guarantee a composition. Kohl, kajal and surma are used across different communities and products. FDA and California public-health sources warn that some traditional products contain high concentrations of lead or other toxic metals. Historical meaning does not establish modern safety. [K2, K3]
Separate history composition and safety
Evidence map, not an application or preparation guide. No grinding, mixing, heating or eye-placement instructions are supplied.
Preserve without hazardous reconstruction. Record local names, users’ accounts and consent, container provenance and scientifically established composition. Do not handle unknown residues as a craft material. If exposure to a suspect product may have occurred, seek advice from a clinician or local public-health service about appropriate testing. [K2, K3]
Where to learn more
- https://apiarybee.com/community/reading/biggie-nu-series-008-noahs-ark-set-d-culture-2000
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kohl_%28cosmetics%29
Sources and rights
- A · Existing Culture Ark record — Supplied current-live refresh; source body unchanged.
- K1 · The Met Kohl tube and applicator — Object 30.8.150, New Kingdom date, materials and rod function.
- K2 · FDA Kohl and lead poisoning — Lead hazard in adults and children; product names do not establish safety.
- K3 · California public health Heavy metals — Lead and other toxic metals found in some traditional eye cosmetics.
Drawings: Original educational SVG schematics; no copied historical/product artwork. Not to scale. Archive note: The source date c. 3100 BC is preserved as the original archive label. The named object studied here is later; neither establishes a single origin or composition for every product called kohl. Warning: HISTORICAL STUDY ONLY. Do not make or apply traditional kohl from these sheets. Some products contain toxic lead; children are especially vulnerable. No cosmetic recipe is provided. Sources consulted 2026-11-01. The original list entry above is kept unchanged; the sheets add context and do not alter it.
Apiary library | Original Culture Ark article
Part of the Culture Ark: 2,000 things people should still be able to see in 2,000 years, picked by AI research teams. This page keeps the original list entry for D-1603 word for word and adds context. Browse the gallery. The Culture Ark is an Artificial Mind Hive (AMH) project. AMH is owned by Austin Little.
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