Programme & Abstracts :: Registration Details :: Accommodation
THE CLOTHED BODY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD
17-19 January 2002Joann Fletcher
'The Decorated Body in Ancient Egypt: hairstyles, cosmetics and tattoos' (or 'How false hair and eye-paint can speak for the majority!')
In examining the 'clothed body' in ancient Egypt, it is essential to realise the vital role played by hairstyles and cosmetics in a society where bodies were generally clothed in only the most basic of plain linen wraps. Although hairstyles and cosmetics were therefore essential forms of self-decoration in Egypt, they continue to be dismissed as mundane and an area of daily life relevant only to women (be they ancient Egyptians or modern audiences). Yet it is obvious that elaborate hairstyles, heavy cosmetics and strong perfumes were worn by both men and women of all ages and social groupings for a wide variety of reasons, not least their practical and often therapeutic value. The fact that such forms of adornment can also be examined and discussed under nine of the ten categories suggested for this conference only serves to underline their importance, and as well as wigs and cosmetics being considered under the heading of 'specific dress items and accessories', both were employed by the ancient Egyptians as a means of display, social control and identity, used for their erotic impact and ritual significance as well as their effect on the economy and extensive artistic repertoire. Ongoing studies into the various forms of personal adornment are in fact revealing a tremendous amount about many aspects of Egyptian culture, as well as addressing the imbalance in Egyptology caused by an over-emphasis on the written word. Although of great importance, the ancient texts pored over by generations of learned men are by no means the only way to understand this ancient society which is almost always represented by the 1% literate elite. As studies into the actual remains of the rest of society continue with the examination of everything from preserved soft tissue to extensive grave goods, failure to leave a convenient written record can at last be disregarded in the light of something as prosaic as false hair and eye-paint.