Wig of Merit

Merit was the wife of the foreman Kha, and the couple both resided in the Worker’s Village of Deir el-Medina (Set Ma’at) and were buried together in the local necropolis within Theban Tomb 8 (TT8). The tomb was discovered during an Italian Archaeological Mission by Ernesto Schiaparelli and Arthur Weigall in 1906, and considering it’s intact state it still remains one of the most astonishing discoveries in Egyptological history.

Unlike the later discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, Kha and Merit‘s Tomb provided an indepth glance into daily life of the class of the non-royal or non-elite figures of Ancient Egypt. Rather than the abundance of golden treasures, the treasures of the Tomb of Kha and Merit were the daily life objects were found within the tomb of the married pair, including furniture and cosmetic tools, food, and of course, the elaborate wig of human hair that belonged to Merit. Such objects mean as much as gold to the Egyptologist who is interested in the daily life of the people of Egypt and their varied “classes”, and so to this day the objects that once belonged to Kha and Merit hold tremendous value as through such objects we can get closer to the truth of life for the people of the past.

The wig was kept in a gorgeously crafted horizontal acacia wood box, built in the shape of a traditional Egyptian shrine, with hieroglyphs of Merit’s name upon the outside. The piece is a wonderful example of Ancient Egyptian craftsmanship that still stands the test of time today. A set of rods can be seen built into the box, on which Merit’s wig would be placed when not in use. It was here the wig was discovered. Most likely due to the protection of the box, the wig is still in great condition, giving us an insight of what Egyptian wigs for women of Merit’s class may have looked like in use.

Made of human hair that has been curled and/or tousled into a thick headdress of dark brown to black hair with lighter hair at the parting, the wig is held together by sewing the hair into a mesh which would rest upon the wearers scalp, the mesh is still visible through the middle part of the wig’s hairstyle.

The tresses of curls come to a tightly twisted or curled end around the sides and looser curls upon the back, this could be due to the passage of time untwining the curls and/or plaits, or simply the intended style. Also, still intact are a set of larger plaits or braids falling down the back of the wig. While being worn, one could assume the hair would have been slightly past shoulder-length, caressing the bust.

The wig could have been worn in daily life, or special events and religious rituals. The wig could also have been adorned with decorations such as real floral garlands, diadems of varied materials, individual hair jewels, and a perfume cone atop of the head, which is thought to have caused a delicious scent upon the wig. It is not documented if the piece is scented or not, but tests showed that the tips of the hair are coated in plant oil/balsam.

Read an in depth analysis of the cosmetic and hair items of Merit by Stephen Buckley and Joann Fletcher here: The Hair and Wig of Meryt: Grooming in the 18th Dynasty

Summary:

Merit’s Wig

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1425–1353 B.C.

From the Tomb of Kha & Merit (TT8), Deir el-Medina

Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. Suppl. 8499

https://egypt-museum.com/18th-dynasty-wig

https://egypt-museum.com/book-of-the-dead-of-kha

https://egypt-museum.com/discovery-of-the-tomb-of-kha

The Hair and Wig of Meryt: Grooming in the 18th Dynasty by Stephen Buckley and Joann Fletcher