Something Completely Different: Fayum

[Updated August 21, 2007 with link at bottom.]

Back in the day the Greco-Egyptian ladies were growing all kinds of crazy eyebrows. If you doubt me, check out these funerary paintings from the Fayum region of northern Egypt. There were a lot of mixed Roman- and Greek-Egyptian citizens. They painted these burial portraits on board using something called encaustic technique, which involved coloring hot beeswax and using it instead of paint.

Whatever they did, it's cool.

I wonder if some ol' skool 2nd century Coptic blogger was scrawling his comments about these ladies on papyrus?



What's that? You don't care about art? Too bad.

Update: Egypt is using these eyebrows to peddle its tourist trade. Click this link.