MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Science News reports that remnants of two cone-shaped headpieces have been found for the first time in burials in the ancient Egyptian city of Amarna by archaeologist Anna Stevens of Monash University and her colleagues. When depicted in paintings, the cones adorn the heads of prominent and powerful individuals, so some archaeologists have expected to find such cones in elite graves, and speculated that they may have been scented. In the 3,300-year-old graves at Amarna, however, one cone was discovered on the head of a woman who died in her 20s, while the other was found with the remains of a person of undetermined sex who died between the ages of 15 and 20. Their names and occupations are unknown, Stevens said. Examination of the cone remnants with portable infrared and X-ray machines showed that they were made of wax and were hollow, but the researchers have found no trace of scented resins or perfumes, which may have evaporated, in the artifacts so far. Stevens suggests the headgear may have been intended to provide assistance in the afterlife. To read about a 4,300-year-old, elaborately painted tomb in Saqqara, go to "Old Kingdom Tomb," one of ARCHAEOLOGY's Top 10 Discoveries of 2019.
