Image Credit: Ligia Salazar/Bolton Library and Museum Services

Rare 1600 Year Old Roman Sun Hat Found in Egypt

A remarkably well-preserved 1,600-year-old sun hat from late Roman Egypt has gone on display after conservation work — a piece so rare that only two other examples are known to survive. The brimmed wool cap, made in the early Christian (Coptic) period, was originally found in 1911 by famed Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie at the site of Lahun in the Fayum region.
The hat, now kept at the Bolton Museum in England, was crafted from felted wool in five colors. It features four conical stitched quarters topped with a central knob, a brown crown, a broad red brim, green edge binding, blue finishing fabric, and a white felt lining. Decorative chain stitching highlights the seams, reflecting the sophisticated textile traditions of Coptic Egypt.
Measuring about 39.5 centimeters across, the hat may have belonged to a Roman soldier stationed in Egypt. Museum specialists note its similarity to third-century Roman military caps, though its design appears adapted for intense sunlight and blowing desert sand.
The Coptic period, beginning around A.D. 395, produced some of Egypt’s most vibrant textiles, mixing Egyptian, Roman, and Christian motifs. Petrie uncovered many such garments at Lahun, offering a vivid picture of daily life during this transitional era.
After moth damage was stabilized using specially dyed fabric, textile conservator Jacqui Hyman restored the hat’s original form. Displayed publicly for the first time in August 2025, the cap stands as a rare survival of practical Roman clothing adapted to Egyptian conditions.
“This hat was made to be worn,” Hyman said. “If only it could tell us who created it — and who once relied on it under the Egyptian sun.”

Published on: 01-12-2025

Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie

Source: Live Science