Another Valuable Piece of the Puzzle About Ramesses II, the Most Celebrated Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, Has Been Revealed.
According to Heritage Daily, Ramesses II was the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty during the New Kingdom period of Egypt.
His reign is often regarded as the most famous in Egyptian history, marked by several major military campaigns and numerous grand construction projects. He is frequently celebrated as a “pharaoh of pharaohs.”
A statue of Pharaoh Ramesses II – (Photo: HISTORY SKILLS).
Based on historical documents, most Egyptologists believe that Ramesses II ascended to the throne in 1279 BC and ruled until his death at approximately 90 years old in 1212 or 1213 BC.
His remains were buried in the KV7 tomb complex in the Valley of the Kings, directly opposite the KV5 tomb of his sons and near the KV8 tomb of his successor – Pharaoh Merenptah.
During the reign of Pharaoh Ramesses III (1186-1155 BC) of the 20th Dynasty, Ramesses II’s tomb was vandalized by tomb robbers.
The priests moved his remains to the tomb of Queen Ahmose Inhapy and later to the tomb of High Priest Pinedjem II.
Ultimately, his final resting place became the TT320 tomb, located near Deir el-Bahari, in the Theban Necropolis opposite the city of Luxor.
This tomb is a royal burial site, containing the mummies of over 50 pharaohs, queens, and other royal family members from the New Kingdom period.
The mummy of Ramesses II was discovered in TT320 during excavations in 1881.
He was found placed in a simple wooden coffin, indicating that this was merely a temporary measure until a more permanent resting place could be determined and a new coffin crafted, which never occurred.
However, a treasure has unexpectedly been revealed through a study led by Sorbonne University (France).
Published in Revue d’Égyptologie, the authors stated that a coffin fragment discovered in 2009 at Abydos is part of the original coffin in which the mummy of Ramesses II was placed.
The coffin fragment identified as the original coffin of Pharaoh Ramesses II – (Photo: Kevin Cahail).
This fragment is part of a meticulously crafted coffin, suitable for the dignity of a pharaoh.
The decorations and inscriptions on the coffin fragment suggest it was originally used for Ramesses II and later repurposed for a high priest of the 21st Dynasty, Menkheperre (around 1000 BC).
Menkheperre may have transported the coffin to Abydos after the KV7 tomb was plundered.
