Kermes is a red dye derived from the dried bodies of the females of a
scale insect in the genus
Kermes, primarily
Kermes vermilio. The insects live on the sap of certain trees, especially
Kermes oak tree near the Mediterranean region. The English color names
crimson and
carmine are derived from the word
kermes, and many other languages have a word for "red" that is derived from
kermes due to the widespread use of this dye in medieval times and the rich red color that it yields. Early historians in the Middle East sometimes confused kermes with the similarly-named red dye
kirmiz of Persia that was derived from the
Porphyrophora hamelii ("Armenian cochineal") insect. Kermes dye is of ancient origin; jars of kermes have been found in a Neolithic cave-burial at Adaouste, northeast of
Aix-en-Provence.