The social and ritual contextualisation of Ancient Egyptian hair and hairstyles from the Protodynastic to the end of the Old Kingdom
Hair, the most malleable part of the human body, lends itself to the most varied forms of impermanent modifications. The resulting hairstyles convey social practices and norms, and may be regarded as part of the ârepresentation of selfâ and an integral element in the maintenance and structuring of society. In this thesis, a systematic and quantative investigation has been undertaken of the structural relationships between variations in hairstyles and principal changes in social organisation in ancient Egypt from the Protodynastic to the end of the Old Kingdom (3,350-2,181 BC), a period that witnessed the rise, consolidation and eventually breakdown of centralised authority. The results reveal that hairstyles were linked to the identity of individuals and social groups, such as men, women, children and the elderly. Hairstyles were used as a means of displaying status. After experimentation with a broad spectrum of hairstyles during the Protodynastic and early Dynasty I, an institutionalised canon for hairstyles was established, coinciding with the creation of administrative institutions. These codified hairstyles continued to serve as the norms for identifying members of the administration or signs of authority.
Tassie, G. J.
The social and ritual contextualisation of Ancient Egyptian hair and hairstyles from the Protodynastic to the end of the Old Kingdom. Hair, the most malleable part of the human body, lends itself to the most varied forms of impermanent modifications. The resulting hairstyles convey social practices and norms, and may be regarded as part of the ârepresentation of selfâ and an integral element in the maintenance and structuring of society. In this thesis, a systematic and quantative investigation has been undertaken of the structural relationships between variations in hairstyles and principal changes in social organisation in ancient Egypt from the Protodynastic to the end of the Old Kingdom (3,350-2,181 BC), a period that witnessed the rise, consolidation and eventually breakdown of centralised authority. The results reveal that hairstyles were linked to the identity of individuals and social groups, such as men, women, children and the elderly. Hairstyles were used as a means of displaying status. After experimentation with a broad spectrum of hairstyles during the Protodynastic and early Dynasty I, an institutionalised canon for hairstyles was established, coinciding with the creation of administrative institutions. These codified hairstyles continued to serve as the norms for identifying members of the administration or signs of authority.
social ritual contextualisation ancient_egyptian hair end old_kingdom hair part human_body lend varied form modification result convey social_practice norm may regard part representation self integral element maintenance structure society systematic investigation_undertaken structural relationship variation principal change social_organisation ancient_egypt end old_kingdom period_witness rise consolidation eventually breakdown authority reveal link identity individual social_group men_woman child elderly use mean display status experimentation broad_spectrum institutionalise canon establish coincide creation administrative institution continue serve norm identify member administration sign authority