Ancient Roman Hair Pins

Bradley A. Philipp

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Ancient Roman Hairstyles

• Roman women, especially those in the upper classes, had very elaborate hairstyles

• During the Flavian Dynasty (AD 69-96) false curls and high fronts were very popular within the imperial court and these fashions then spread throughout the Roman World

• Roman women used hair dye and bleaches to change their hair color

• The most popular hair color was golden-red

Ancient Roman Hairstyles

• As the tastes of Roman women continued to evolve, thicker hair grew more popular and artificial means were used to achieve the desired look

• Height and intricacy reminiscent to that of Louis XIV was the name of the game

Ancient Roman Hairstyles

• The only way that Roman women could achieve such a drastic look was through artificial means such as hairpins and wigs

• Sometimes they would even take the blonde hair from captive Germans or Celts and use it to supplement their own hairstyles

• Bone was inexpensive and durable and it could be sculpted and decorated in many ways making it a common material for making hairpins

The Hairpins Themselves

• Bone was inexpensive, very durable, and could be sculpted and decorated in many ways making it a popular material for making hairpins

• Roman women had to wear several hairpins at a time in order to maintain their ornate hairstyles

• Some hairpins were made of more expensive material and were decorated more carefully.

Hairpins

• In some instances Gum Arabic was used to keep hair in place. It was a natural gum made of hardened sap from Acacia trees

Bone Hairpin showing a portrait of Vibia Sabina (wife of Emperor Hadrian from 117-138 AD)

This Hairpin was from Roman Britian and shows how extensively the fashions of the Imperial Court spread. It is made of silver meaning it probably belonged to someone of a higher status than the other bone hairpins

• In 2007 Archaeologists from the Yorkshire Museum in the UK and a group of students from York College attempted to recreate the look of Ancient Roman women using authentic hairpins…

Replica curling comb and authentic Roman hairpins