Another padded burial (Burial 16), although heavily plundered, was of an older woman (c. 30+ years) whose long hair was extremely well preserved beneath the 10cm thick linen pads. Remnants of linen pads were found over the top of the head, around the jaw and encasing the hands and lower arms.

When this protective padding was removed we found that there was more artificial going on that just the mummification. First, examination of her tresses showed that some of that color wasn't hers. In fact, her graying locks had been dyed, as analysis has shown, with henna (Lawsonia inermis). But that was not all. Carefully knotted in to help fill out those graying and thinning locks were hair extensions, locks of human hair, arranged to form what must have been a quite elaborate hair style, with a lot of lift in the center. It is unknown whether this was done in life or was a post mortem treatment, but clearly it was not something she could have done herself. This particular burial is of extreme importance as it provides not only the earliest documented evidence for the use of hair dye in Egypt but, more importantly, the earliest evidence for the use of false hair from Egypt, if not the entire ancient world, predating previous examples by a least 300 years. The product of many hours work, this extra care given to her appearance for the next world would suggest she was highly regarded in life. Perhaps the padding and wrapping of her body was another expression of this regard.

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