WEARABLE HERITAGE

Archaeological hair research

 

Since 2012, I have been working on the human hair remains from the non-elite cemetery at tell el-Amarna, Egypt (click here for the link to the project website). In this research, I study of actual hairstyles used by the ancient Egyptians. In the past seasons, excavated hair samples and entire heads with beautifully preserved coiffures were documented and analysed.

 

The main focus of my research is the meaning and the role of hairstyles in ancient tell el-Amarna. The social stature expressed with hair is an important subject, but certainly also the role of hair in expressing (post-death) identity and its function in mortuary practices. Articles on my research can (for instance) be found in the newsletter of the project Horizon number 13 and number 6.

 

Please follow updates on the hair research on the Wearable Heritage accounts on Facebook and Instagram. And, if you can, please support our work through the Amarna Trust. For other posts on ancient Egyptian funerary culture in relation to hair, check out the website by Rosa Valdesogo Martín and the publications by Geoffrey John Tassie at Academia.edu.