CONE-SHAPED headgear worn by Ancient Egyptians 3,000 years ago has been found by archaeologists.
The wax accessory jutted from the top of the head and is believed to have been worn to “purify” the wearer before they journeyed to the afterlife.
5This woman died 3,300 years ago corpse was found with the remains of a wave “head cone” around its skullCredit: Courtesy of the Amarna Project/Stevens et al/Antiquity Publications Ltd
Ancient Egyptians have long been depicted wearing so-called “head cones” in artwork, but until now experts had no physical proof they existed.
Archaeologists had begun to question whether they existed at all or were simply an artistic motif, like halos in religious art.
Discovered in the ancient city of Amarna, head cones placed on two individuals buried 3,300 years ago prove that the hats were real.
Exactly what they were used for, however, remains a mystery.
The skeleton of a woman found buried with a wax head cone. She died more than 3,300 years agoCredit: Amarna Project
Ancient Egyptians have long been depicted wearing so-called “head cones” in artwork, but until now experts had no physical proof they existedCredit: Getty – Contributor
“Ancient Egyptian art frequently depicted people wearing cone-shaped headgear, but none had ever been found,” researchers told Fox News.
“This confirms the objects actually existed, which some researchers were sceptical of.
“It is unknown why these cones were included in the burials,” the experts continued.
“They may have been thought to purify the wearer so they could engage with the rituals and deities of the afterlife.
The burial site in the ancient city of AmarnaCredit: Amarna Project
5Artist impression of the woman’s burialCredit: Amarna Project
“Alternatively, they could be connected with ideas of fertility and resurrection.”
The two cone-wearing corpses were discovered in separate plots at a cemetery in Amarna.
One was a woman who had died between the ages of 20 and 29, and sported “long, thick braids featuring many extensions and end-curls”, researchers said.
Her cone was placed on top of the head over the well-preserved hair.
Scientists said cone, a “low dome” shape, originally measured about 3.1 inches high and 3.9 inches across.
The sex of the second individual is not, but experts think they died between the ages of 10 and 15.
In both cases, the cone was cream coloured and likely made of beeswax.
A paper on the research has been published in the journal Antiquity.
Sources:thesun.co.uk
