A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain

May 31, 2026 feature A kohl bottle from York may hint at an ancient Egyptian in Roman-Britain Sandee Oster Author Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Ancient Egyptians are often depicted wearing black eyeliner, known as kohl, which was stored in small containers. While kohl containers are typically found throughout Egypt and Sudan (Nubia), their presence beyond these areas is limited to only a handful of examples. However, over 40 years ago, in 1983–4, an unassuming glass flask dated to the late 2nd century AD was excavated in York, England. The significance of the container would not be noted until decades later, when Dr. Hillary Cool, of the Barbican Research Associates, was tidying up her archive and noted that the glass flask had an uncanny resemblance to an Egyptian kohl bottle, making it the first and only kohl bottle found in Roman Britain to date. A mysterious glass flask The glass bottle was discovered during excavations by the York Archaeological Trust on 24–30 Tanner Row. The excavations revealed that the site had once been part of a rubbish dump in the late 2nd century. "In the late second century, the area across the river from the legionary fortress was starting to develop as a serious civilian center," explained Dr. Cool. "It seems likely this was a place where the rubbish from the legion was being dumped." The glass bottle was blue-green with thick, silvery iridescence and dark weathering patches, making it very untypical of other Romano-British glass assemblages. It is unlikely that the glass bottle's appearance was caused by preservation, as most other glass fragments showed normal coloration. Similarly, Dr. Cool ruled out the possibility that this was simply a very poorly made bottle, having never "encountered that level of incompetence in any other vessel." The bottle was also unlike most other Roman bottles, which typically had thinner walls and an interior hollow that mirrored the outside shape. One plausible explanation was that the glass flask was a kohl bottle, as similar containers were known in Egyptian glass production around this time. An Egyptian in York During the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, Egyptian glass makers made two types of bottles: one with an inner hollow that mirrored the outer, and another with a cylindrical internal hollow, just like the York bottle. These additional forms were particularly useful as kohl bottles, as they allowed the kohl to be stored and easily extracted with an applicator stick. Similar kohl bottles have been recovered across Egypt, including in military sites such as at Umm Balad (2nd century AD) and Didymoi (90 AD). Additionally, kohl bottles have also been found in abundance in rubbish dumps such as at Fort Wadi Abu Ma'amel, where 36 kohl containers were recovered, dated to the 2nd century AD. "This was not something that was traded widely beyond Egypt and Sudan—if it was, we would get the containers much more frequently," explained Dr. Cool. The bottle would have been unsuitable as a perfume container due to its small size, nor was it likely a souvenir brought by a traveler. "If tourists to Egypt were deciding they wanted kohl eyeliner in any quantity, we could expect to find the quite distinctive containers more often." Ruling out trade, souvenirs, or the possibility that it contained another substance, Dr. Cool examined kohl's geographical restrictions and concluded it "might have ethnographic implications." Kohl was used almost exclusively in Egypt and Sudan, indicating there was little demand for it beyond these regions. Kohl thus reflected a regional preference, similar to how pestle-and-mortar makeup sets in Britain were indicative of regional preference and thus rarely found in other contexts. According to the study, York and the surrounding Romano-British areas had various links to Egypt at the time. For instance, commanding officer Claudius Hieronymianus had a temple built in York to Serapis, a Greco-Egyptian god. Meanwhile, down in Leicester, archaeologists found an ivory box engraved with the god Anubis, who was particularly favored among Roman soldiers stationed in Egypt. The same site also revealed military seals, including one that had been based in Egypt. Taken together, these objects indicate some links to ancient Egypt. Dr. Cool believes the York kohl bottle may have been brought as a personal item by a soldier who was either an Egyptian or had spent considerable time in Egypt, adopting some of their customs, including the use of kohl makeup. While no future studies are planned for this particular glass bottle, ongoing research into other Roman-era glass bottles and their contents may shed light on the personal habits and cultural identities of the people living and serving at the edges of the Roman empire. The finding also encourages us to revise our preconceptions of the appearance of Roman soldiers: "After all, wearing eyeliner is not a habit normally associated with the Roman military." Written for you by our author Sandee Oster, edited by Sadie Harley, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. If this reporting matters to you, please consider a donation (especially monthly). You'll get an ad-free account as a thank-you. More information H.E.M. Cool, An Egyptian at York?, Britannia (2026). DOI: 10.1017/s0068113x26100737 © 2026 Science X Network