What is it about?
Facial hair was a tool actively used by people in the Early Middle Ages to signal identity, status, and power. By looking at archaeological, artistic and textual sources from early-medieval northern Europe, I argue that beards were visual shorthand, and was carefully managed to send a message. They helped distinguish "Us" from "Them", and could work as badges of status and dominance.
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Why is it important?
The article argues that the way a man styled his face was a key part of his "social identity," helping him navigate the complex politics and cultural changes of the early-medieval world. Thus, by studying how people styled their hair and beards, archaeologists can uniquely access much bigger issues, like power , religion, and cultural boundaries .
Perspectives
This was a nice little excursion from Viking head hair!
Dr Steven P Ashby
University of York
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Grooming the Face in the Early Middle Ages, Internet Archaeology, January 2016, Council for British Archaeology,
DOI: 10.11141/ia.42.6.9.
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