Posted by: Mawethu on: August 22, 2011
The study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science shown that ancient Egyptians styled their hair using a fat-based ‘gel’. These analyses revealed that ancient Egyptians used the product to ensure that their style stayed in place in both life and death.
The study was based on hair samples taken from 18 mummies. The oldest is around 3,500 years old, but most were excavated from a cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis in the Western Desert, and date from Greco-Roman times, around 2,300 years ago.
They include males and females ranging in age from 4 to 58 years old. Some were artificially mummified, whereas others were preserved naturally by the dry sand in which they were buried.
Microscopy using light and electrons revealed that nine of the mummies had hair coated in a mysterious fat-like substance. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry was used to separate out the different molecules in the samples, and found that the coating contained biological long-chain fatty acids including palmitic acid and stearic acid.
The fatty coating might be a styling product that was used to set hair in place. These fatty acids were most found on both natural and artificial mummies. It seems that fatty acid were beauty product during life as well as a key part of the mummification process.
As for resins and embalming materials used to prepare the artificially mummified bodies were not found in the hair samples, suggesting that the hair was protected during embalming and then styled separately.
The evidence revealed that ancient Egyptian paid special attention to the hair because they realized that it didn’t degrade as much as the rest of the body. The product was found on both male and female mummies, showing that both sexes cared about their eternal hairdo. Well, thing have change since then, only woman cares about heirdo in the moden days. Its seem to me its indiginous african trand though, as evindence many of black girls have fringes from the weaves either Brazilian, Indian and plastic hair. Whereas, most male species including me don’t know the difference between weaves. The only thing we know for sure is that it’s not your real hair.
High-status hairstyles
Hair was a status symbol ancient Egyptian. Therefore the styles signified high standing. Therefor, the weave on woman, I suspect is status symbol thing. The only thing I certain know about the weave is one of the major causes of the financial crisis.
On Egyptian texts and art there nothing mention of hair products. Moreover, Ancient Egyptians are known to have used scented oils and lotions on their bodies. Some best clue comes from Egyptian wigs. The hair is often coated with beeswax. Such wigs, which have been found in Egyptian tombs, would have been expensive and probably restricted to the nobility. The majority of the mummies have their own hair.
The Egyptians might have also used beeswax on their own hair. The wax contains fatty acids such as palmitic acid. Although the study doesn’t show any evidence of beeswax. Only there certain about is the product a fat, but the study can’t tell us what type of fat.
The mummies’ hairstyles varied, both long and short, with curls particularly popular; metal implements resembling curling tongs have been found in several tombs. Once the hair was styled, the fatty gunge would have held the individuals’ curls in place.
I can ensure you ladies you’ll still get action without a weave, or any artificial cosmetics products.
