Long TextExercise 83 of 83

Of all the colours in the visible spectrum, blue occupies a uniquely puzzling position in human history. It is the colour of the sky and the sea, yet for most of recorded civilisation it was remarkably difficult to produce as a pigment, a dye, or even as a concept in language. Linguistic studies have revealed that…

• What does the writer find surprising about the colour blue in ancient times?
• Why was Egyptian blue historically significant?