Cultural History of Hair in Antiquity

"A thick, tangled and deliciously idiosyncratic history of hair." Times Literary Supplement Hair, or lack of it, is one the most significant identifiers of individuals in any society. In Antiquity, the power of hair to send a series of social messages was no different. This volume covers nearly a thousand years of history, from Archaic Greece to the end of the Roman Empire, concentrating on what is now Europe, North Africa, and the Near East. Among the key issues identified by its authors is the recognition that in any given society male and female hair tend to be opposites (when male hair is generally short, women's is long); that hair is a marker of age and stage of life (children and young people have longer, less confined hairstyles; adult hair is far more controlled); hair can be used to identify the 'other' in terms of race and ethnicity but also those who stand outside social norms such as witches and mad women. The chapters in A Cultural History of Hair in Antiquity cover the following topics: religion and ritualized belief, self and society, fashion and adornment, production and practice, health and hygiene, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, class and social status, and cultural representations.

Review: A thick, tangled and deliciously idiosyncratic history of hair ... There is plenty to inform and intrigue. * Times Literary Supplement *
This fascinating book, with its range of interdisciplinary approaches, reveals the central role that hair played in fundamental ancient ideas concerning social status, gender and morality. -- Jerry Toner, Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK
Covering a broad timespan, this fascinating, image-rich book offers essays individually focused upon important topics including health, gender, religion, status, and the practicalities of "doing hair" in antiquity. The volume is a wonderful contribution to the cultural history of antiquity. -- Alicia J. Batten, Conrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo, Canada