The Mummy of Ramesses II
The mummy of Ramesses II was among those found in the royal cache (DB320) at Deir el-Bahari, West Thebes. It was completely covered with linen bandages that bear the king’s name and epithets in Hieratic script.
The mummy has silky hair, which was white at the time of death, but has yellowed from the preservative chemicals. His nostrils were filled with resin and seeds, perhaps to better hold their shape.
According to the X-rays, the king was suffering from dental problems and severe arthritis in his hip joint. Ramesses II’s mummy was sent to Paris for further studies and preservation. The king most probably died in his late eighties or early nineties.
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, ca. 1279-1213 BC. Now in the Royal Mummy Room, Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 26214
