The Hair And Hairstyles Of Ancient Egyptians

Hair,as the extended part of the human body,has very strong plasticity.Ancient Egyptians express themselves through their hairstyles.Therefore,the hairstyle has the function of carrying personal information.Many scholars have interpreted the hair and hairstyles of ancient Egyptians from multiple angles,which has laid a theoretical foundation for the study in this thesis.By studying ancient Egyptians in ethnology,we can learn that ancient Egyptians are rather a cultural concept;therefore,it is not comprehensive to judge ancient Egyptians’ hairstyles only by the attributes of their hair.In addition,through the analysis of the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics,we can learn that ancient Egyptians used more hair-related words,which to some extent reflects ancient Egyptians’ care and attention to hair in real life.By observing and studying the statues,reliefs and wall paintings of ancient Egypt from an artistic perspective,we can summarize the evolution of the hairstyles of ancient Egyptians.The evolution of the hairstyles of ancient Egyptians can be divided into five stages,namely the Predynastic Period,the Early Dynastic Period and the Old Kingdom,the Middle kingdom,the New Kingdom,the Third Intermediate Period and beyond.Among them,the New Kingdom was the most prosperous era for the development of hairstyles of ancient Egyptians,especially the 18 th Dynasty,where new hairstyles occurred and popularized some new hairstyles.Ancient Egyptian hairstyles are not only practical and beautiful,but also contain information related to identities.For example,the hairstyle can reveal the basic information of an individual’s age and gender,and it can also reflect deeper information such as the wearer’s social status,occupation,religious belief,and occasion.Furthermore,the ancient Egyptian hair has several meanings,including political,religious,social ethics and cultural aspects.In addition,in the ancient Egyptian society,industries and practitioners closely related to hair and hairstyles also need to be understood as a background.