The Importance of Hair Throughout History

The earliest images we have of people depicting themselves show us the importance of hair in self-imaging. Most of the images we have from ancient times are of royal, rich and powerful people. Ordinary, non-aristocratic people generally did not get their images preserved; when they appear as background figures they usually have short hair. Enemies defeated in war are often shown with shorn hair, indicating loss of status and power.

In ancient Sumeria of about 4,000 years ago (often called a cradle of civilization), noble women wore thick, ornate hair styling-probably as a mark of social rank. Archeologists have found finely crafted gold ornaments used in hair dressing.

Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian nobles of 4,000 to 2,500 years ago were depicted with long, curled or braided hair and thick, curled beards. Figures believed to be of the hero-king Gilgamesh of Uruk had a curled, chest-length beard. Kings of the warrior kingdom of Assyria were inevitably depicted with long, curled or braided hair and long, curled beards. The relationship between "hair" and "power" was hard to dismiss.

Paintings in ancient Egyptian tombs show that noble men and women often had shaven heads in everyday life, but donned elaborate wigs and false beards for ceremonial occasions. It has been suggested that shaved heads made sense in daily life for people living in the hot climate of Egypt. Wigs and beards were reserved for occasions when a demonstration of status and power was necessary.

In more recent times, in Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century Europe, elaborate hair styles for both men and women were symbols of high status. In some instances the wigs of men were more elaborate than the hair styles of women. As always, the hair styles of ordinary people were simple and utilitarian for everyday life.

In our own era of mass communication and entertainment, hair as "social statement" is popularized by cinema and television personalities-the "royalty" of our time.-and emulation of popularized hair styles is available to everyone. No style of facial or scalp hair is reserved for aristocrats. A hair style seen on a cinema star at the Academy Awards ceremony is likely to be seen on the streets of American cities the following day. In cultures that subscribe to "traditional" social norms, women may follow popular trends of hair style but reveal their hair only to friends and family, not in public.