The way in which an individual chooses to wear their hair is a marker or expression of that individual’s identity, or rather, it is a marker or expression of their intersecting identities. Hairstyles can denote gender and status. They can reflect political, social and religious positions and alignments. They may also mark an individual as belonging to a specific cultural or ethnic group.

The present work will focus on how hairstyles are used to mark the intersection of identity/identities in the visual record during the Akkadian Period (2334–2150 BCE). There are relatively few major works of art, such as stelae and statuary, which have survived from the Akkadian Period, but around 2000 cylinder seals are known. In the Akkadian Period visual corpus, hairstyles are gendered – there are clear differences in the hairstyles worn by men and women. There are also differences in hairstyles which appear to mark status, be that social or religious.

These various hairstyles and their associations will be discussed. The hairstyles worn by gods and goddess during the Akkadian Period will also be addressed, as these can offer insight into those worn by their human counterparts. Where necessary, mention will also be made of the hairstyles depicted in the visual cultures of the preceding Early Dynastic Period (2900–2334 BCE) and the succeeding Neo-Sumerian Period (2157–2004 BCE) to contextualize those of the Akkadian Period.