Discoveries

June 15, 2023

Ancient Self-Care

Listen to Today's Edition

Personal grooming was very important for Roman aristocracy and commoners, including the shaving and plucking of hair.

A new archaeological find in England recently also shows how widespread and trendy the practice of hair removal had become in many far-flung regions of the Roman empire, the Miami Herald reported.

The charity English Heritage recently announced the discovery of more than 50 pairs of tweezers in the ancient Roman town of Wroxeter, some 150 miles northwest of London.

Curator Cameron Moffett said the tool was “a popular accessory” at the time because it was safe, simple, and cheap to use – “but unfortunately not pain-free,” he added.

Moffett and his colleagues explained that hair removal was important for Wroxeter’s inhabitants in order to keep up with the fashions of Rome and to differentiate themselves from their “barbarian” countrymen.

The plucking, however, was mainly performed by enslaved people, they noted.

Still, hair removal was just one part of the grooming process. A Wroxeter resident would also clean their nails, get rid of the wax in their ears, and then head to the communal baths – a very time-consuming practice, according to the researchers.

The newly unearthed tweezers, along with a vast collection of other items such as perfume bottles and jewelry, are currently on display at a new museum in Wroxeter.

This story originally appeared in the June 15, 2023 newsletter, Intrigue in the Palace.