Cockle shells containing cosmetics, found by C.L. Woolley in women's tombs and now preserved in the British Museum Department of Western Asiatic Antiquities, contain predominently green and black colors along with white, red, yellow and blue. These have been examined by XRD, XRF and optical microscopy. A limited range of colors was obtained by varying the compositions of mixtures of naturally occurring copper or iron minerals diluted with white calcined bone or cerussite (lead carbonate). One unique yellow pigment consisted of Wulgenite (lead molybdate) diluted with green mineral.