A remarkable 2,000-year-old Roman military hat, one of only three known examples worldwide, has finally gone on public display at Bolton Museum after more than a century in storage. This exceptionally preserved woolen head covering, believed to have been made for a Roman soldier following the conquest of Egypt after Queen Cleopatra’s death in 30 BC, represents a unique glimpse into military life in Roman-occupied Egypt.
The hat, now considered the best-preserved example in the world, was donated to Bolton’s first museum in 1911 by Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie, the pioneering archaeologist who revolutionized Egyptian excavation methods. The other two known examples are housed at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester and a museum in Florence, Italy, making this public debut particularly significant for understanding Roman military adaptation to harsh Egyptian conditions.
