Beyond the Sands of Time: Rediscovering Ramses II Through Astonishing Facial Reconstruction from Ancient Mummified Remains

A?ti?ici?l Int?lli??nc? ??c?nst??cti?n ?? wh?t Ph????h R?ms?s II m?? h?v? l??k?? lik? (1,303 – 1,213 BC).

R?m?ss?s II ?ls? kn?wn ?s R?m?ss?s th? G???t, w?s th? thi?? ?h????h ?? th? Nin?t??nth D?n?st? ?? E???t. H? is ??t?n ???????? ?s th? ????t?st, m?st c?l????t??, ?n? m?st ??w????l ?h????h ?? th? N?w Kin???m, its?l? th? m?st ??w????l ???i?? ?? Anci?nt E???t. His s?cc?ss??s ?n? l?t?? E???ti?ns c?ll?? him th? “G???t Anc?st??”.

H? is kn?wn ?s Oz?m?n?i?s in G???k s???c?s, ???m th? ?i?st ???t ?? R?m?ss?s’s ???n?l n?m?, Us??m??t?? S?t???n??, “Th Ch?s?n ?? R?”.

R?m?ss?s II l?? s?v???l milit??? ?x???iti?ns int? th? L?v?nt, ??ᴀss??tin? E???ti?n c?nt??l ?v?? C?n??n. H? ?ls? l?? ?x???iti?ns t? th? s??th, int? N??i?, c?mm?m???t?? in insc?i?ti?ns ?t B?it ?l-W?li ?n? G??? H?ss?in. Th? ???l? ???t ?? his ??i?n w?s ??c?s?? ?n ??il?in? citi?s, t?m?l?s, ?n? m?n?m?nts. H? ?st??lish?? th? cit? ?? Pi-R?m?ss?s in th? Nil? D?lt? ?s his n?w c??it?l ?n? ?s?? it ?s th? m?in ??s? ??? his c?m??i?ns in S??i?. At ????t??n, h? w?s ????int?? ??inc? ????nt ?? his ??th??, S?ti I. H? is ??li?v?? t? h?v? t?k?n th? th??n? in his l?t? t??ns ?n? is kn?wn t? h?v? ??l?? E???t ???m 1279 t? 1213 BC.

M?n?th? ?tt?i??t?s R?m?ss?s II ? ??i?n ?? 66 ????s ?n? 2 m?nths; m?st E???t?l??ists t???? ??li?v? h? ᴀss?m?? th? th??n? ?n 31 M?? 1279 BC, ??s?? ?n his kn?wn ?cc?ssi?n ??t? ?? III S??s?n ?? th? H??v?st, ??? 27. Estim?t?s ?? his ??? ?t ???th v???; 90 ?? 91 is c?nsi????? m?st lik?l?. R?m?ss?s II c?l????t?? ?n ?n???c???nt?? thi?t??n ?? ????t??n S?? ??stiv?ls (th? ?i?st h?l? ??t?? 30 ????s ?? ? ?h????h’s ??i?n, ?n? th?n, ?v??? th??? ????s) ???in? his ??i?n—m??? th?n ?n? ?th?? ?h????h. On his ???th, h? w?s ???i?? in ? t?m? in th? V?ll?? ?? th? Kin?s; his ???? w?s l?t?? m?v?? t? ? ????l c?ch? wh??? it w?s ?isc?v???? in 1881, ?n? is n?w ?n ?is?l?? in th? E???ti?n M?s??m.

In 1975, M???ic? B?c?ill?, ? F??nch ??ct??, ?x?min?? th? m?mm? ?t th? C?i?? M?s??m ?n? ???n? it in ???? c?n?iti?n. F??nch P??si??nt V?lé?? Gisc??? ?’Est?in? s?cc????? in c?nvincin? E???ti?n ??th??iti?s t? s?n? th? m?mm? t? F??nc? ??? t???tm?nt. In S??t?m??? 1976, it w?s ????t?? ?t P??is–L? B?????t Ai????t with ??ll milit??? h?n??s ???ittin? ? kin?, th?n t?k?n t? ? l?????t??? ?t th? M?sé? ?? l’H?mm?.

Th? m?mm? w?s ????nsic?ll? t?st?? ?? P????ss?? Pi????-F??n?n? C?cc?l?i, th? chi?? ????nsic sci?ntist ?t th? C?imin?l I??nti?ic?ti?n L?????t??? ?? P??is. P????ss?? C?cc?l?i ??t??min?? th?t: “H?i?, ?st?nishin?l? ???s??v??, sh?w?? s?m? c?m?l?m?nt??? ??t? — ?s??ci?ll? ????t ?i?m?nt?ti?n: R?m?ss?s II w?s ? ?in??? h?i??? ‘c?mn?t?ich? l??c????m?’.” Th? ??sc?i?ti?n ?iv?n h??? ?????s t? ? ??i?-skinn?? ???s?n with w?v? ?in??? h?i?. S??s????nt mic??sc??ic ins??cti?n ?? th? ???ts ?? R?m?ss?s II’s h?i? ???v?? th?t th? kin?’s h?i? ??i?in?ll? w?s ???, which s????sts th?t h? c?m? ???m ? ??mil? ?? ???h???s. This h?s m??? th?n j?st c?sm?tic si?ni?ic?nc?: in ?nci?nt E???t ????l? with ??? h?i? w??? ᴀss?ci?t?? with th? ??it? S?t, th? sl???? ?? Osi?is, ?n? th? n?m? ?? R?m?ss?s II’s ??th??, S?ti I, m??ns “??ll?w?? ?? S?th”.

A?t?? ??in? i????i?t?? in ?n ?tt?m?t t? ?limin?t? ??n?i ?n? ins?cts, th? m?mm? w?s ??t??n?? ???m P??is t? E???t in M?? 1977.