Ancient Egyptian Sun Hat, Likely Worn by Roman Soldier, Unveiled at Bolton Museum
The Bolton Museum has unveiled what experts call the world’s best-preserved ancient Egyptian sun hat, believed to have been worn by a Roman soldier. The sun hat, discovered in 1888 at the Illahun archaeological site in Faiyum, Egypt, was donated to Bolton’s first museum, the Chadwick Museum, in 1911, and had been in storage for nearly 115 years before its recent display.
Curator Ian Trumble explained that the hat’s survival in Egypt’s dry conditions was remarkable, given that textiles are often damaged in wetter areas like the Nile region or flood-prone lowlands. The hat, dated to between 2,100 and 2,400 years ago, is thought to have been adapted by a Roman soldier for Egyptian conditions upon their arrival from Anatolia.
Only two similar hats exist worldwide, with Bolton’s example considered the most complete after conservation. The hat, made of woolen felt, was previously too fragile to display and was now showcased in the museum’s Egypt galleries, with plans to move it to a permanent display by September.
The hat is currently on display at the Bolton Museum in Greater Manchester, England. It was found at the Illahun archaeological site in the Egyptian city of Faiyum in 1888. The accessory was donated to Bolton’s first museum, the Chadwick Museum, in 1911, and had been in storage for nearly 115 years – until now.
Archaeologist Ian Trumble, a curator of archaeology for Bolton Library & Museum Services, told Fox News Digital that the hat survived due to Egypt’s dry conditions. He explained that in Egypt, textiles are often well-preserved in areas where the ground has remained dry, but do not survive in wetter areas near the Nile or in lowland and valley areas prone to flooding, such as the Valley of the Kings.
He noted that while the Faiyum region is generally wetter, the survival of the hat is still considered quite remarkable. The hat is believed to be between 2,100 and 2,400 years old, dating to either the Greek or Roman period of Egyptian history. The current theory is that it was worn by a soldier who could have adapted it for Egyptian conditions when they moved with the Roman army from Anatolia to Egypt.
There are only two similar hats in existence, with one housed in Manchester and the other in Florence. The Bolton Museum’s example was always considered the more complete survival, but after the conservation process, it is now regarded as the best example in the world.
The hat is made of woolen felt, but the exact type of wool is unknown until further testing. It would have been particularly susceptible to damage from pests and natural degradation. The conservation process allowed researchers to examine the construction of the hat in more detail, revealing that the conical body of the hat may have been made earlier than the scalloped brim, as the brim is of a less dense felt and seems to have been added onto the body in a different type of stitch.
The hat is now displayed in the entrance case of the museum’s Egypt galleries and will be moved to a permanent display in September. The Bolton Museum boasts the largest collection of ancient Egyptian textiles in the United Kingdom, spanning over 7,000 years of Egyptian history. The hat joins more than 8,000 other individual pieces in the museum’s collection.
Trumble noted that the fragility of the hat was one of the reasons it was never put on display until now. As part of the conservation process, it has been cleaned and strengthened with a sympathetic support lining, allowing it to be displayed for the first time. The museum is hoping to conduct further research on the hat in the future to uncover more about its history and significance.