The fact that mummies have been found all over the world wearing hats
certainly attests to the importance of headgear in virtually all human
cultures. Headdress is in fact the most universally important part of
costume, worn even when body apparel is dispensed with, as the
appearance of the aborigines abundantly proves. Head attire in both
sexes have from prehistoric times served to establish the individual’s
rank or position in society, to impress the lowly and to challenge the
enemy.
Natural conditions in the stone walls of the Capuchin Catacombs of Palermo, Sicily, preserved these mummies. Hats like these are still worn by Sicilian men.