Ancient Egyptian hair gel: New insight into ancient Egyptian mummification procedures through chemical analysis

Artificial mummification in ancient Egypt involved the application of chemicals to the body mostly for the purpose of preservation; others were applied for ritual aspects. Unguents were used also in everyday toilette. Here we report a type of material which was applied specifically to the hair, a fatty material used as a 'hair gel'. Personal appearance was important to the ancient Egyptians so much so that in cases where the hair was styled the embalming process was adapted to preserve the hair style. This further ensured that the deceased's individuality was retained in death, as it had been in life, and emphasises the importance of the hair in ancient Egyptian society. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.