Scientists have managed to reconstruct the face of one of the most famous rulers of ancient Egypt, Ramesses the Great.
Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, is, without a doubt, the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, which also happened to be the most powerful period in ancient Egyptian history. Rameses the Great was the third ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty. The ancient Greeks referred to him as Ozymandias. Such was his fame that successor pharaohs called him the “Great Ancestor.” He was a truly legendary ruler, and for most of his reign, he erected cities, monuments, and temples. And while he ruled over Egypt long after the most amazing monuments in Egypt were built, the Pyramids, his construction projects were recorded in history as some of the greatest. In addition to being a builder and innovator, Ramesses the Great was also a great military leader, leading several military expeditions capturing Canaan and Phoenicia.
Ramesses and the Ramesseum
One of his most incredible monuments was a temple complex called the Ramesseum. Once completed, it was a massive structure, but today only fragments of its glory remain. One of the most famous components is the syenite statue of the enthroned Pharaoh, a marvel of ancient builders weighing more than a thousand tons. What is incredible is that this massive boulder was said to have been transported from the quarry to the temple over a distance spanning more than 270 kilometers. This was allegedly done via land. This makes it the largest remaining statue in the world.
Reconstructing what Ramesses looked like
It is believed that Ramesses the Great lived to the age of 91. This is quite the age for someone who lived thousands of years ago. And although his mummy had been found for a long time, scientists didn’t know what the Pharaoh looked like. Now, using his mummified remains, researchers have managed to reconstruct his face, both in his prime age at 45 and his old age. The images obtained by experts show a Ramesses without jewelry, makeup, or headdress, but just an ordinary human. Check out the video:
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