Archaeology & History

Ancient Egyptians really did wear head cones

By T.K. Randall
December 15, 2019

Image: The Mortuary Complex of Menkaure, Egypt
Credit: Noureddin Abdulbari / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) Featured in murals, coffins, stelae and other works of Egyptian art dating back to between 3,570 and 2,000 years ago, these curious head cones had long remained something of an enigma.

Now though, the discovery of skeletons wearing these unusual items of headwear has finally confirmed that they were indeed real hats worn by the people of the time.

Dating back 3,300 years, the remains were unearthed in the city of Akhetaten (or Amarna).

"The excavation of two cones from the Amarna cemeteries confirms that three-dimensional, wax-based head cones were sometimes worn by the dead in ancient Egypt, and that access to these objects was not restricted to the upper elite," the researchers wrote."The Amarna discovery supports the idea that head cones were also worn by the living, although it remains difficult to ascertain how often and why."

Resembling a type of small party hat, the head cones have often been seen in depictions of people hunting and fishing in the afterlife and are thought to be connected to childbirth and fertility.

While there is nothing that immediately stands out about the two burials that might help to explain their significance and purpose, it is hoped that further analysis will help to reveal more.

#Archaeology #Egypt #History First evidence of Egyptian 'head cones' found in 3,300-year-old tomb reveal they were made of wax and may have been designed to scent... https://t.co/3jWM9XXWpo

— Francis A. Konan 🌊 (@FAK___) December 12, 2019

Source: Science Alert

Tags: Egypt