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@@ -25,13 +25,21 @@ Ramesses II (~1303–1213 BCE), also known as Ramesses the Great, was the third
## Legacy
- Fathered over 100 children
- His mummy was discovered in the Deir el-Bahari cache (1881) [^2]; analysis reveals severe arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and dental abscesses consistent with advanced age [^3]
- His mummy was discovered in the Deir el-Bahari cache (TT320) in 1881 [^2]; analysis reveals severe arthritis, arteriosclerosis, and dental abscesses consistent with advanced age [^3]
- His original burial comprised three nested coffins: an inner gilded wooden coffin, an intermediary alabaster coffin, and an outer granite sarcophagus; the body was transferred to a plain wooden coffin in antiquity to protect it from grave robbers [^5]
- His original granite outer sarcophagus was identified in 2024 by Egyptologist Frédéric Payraudeau (Sorbonne University) from a fragment discovered in 2009 at a Coptic monastery in Abydos; the fragment had been reused by high priest Menkheperre during the 21st Dynasty (~1069–943 BCE), who overwrote much of the original hieroglyphic text, obscuring the royal cartouche [^4][^5]
- Often identified (controversially) with the pharaoh of the Exodus narrative
- Nine subsequent pharaohs took the name Ramesses; he was referred to as the "Great Ancestor" by successor pharaohs [^3]
- His original sarcophagus was identified at KV7 by researchers from Sorbonne University [^4]
## Recent Discoveries
- Ramesseum excavations (2025): A joint Egyptian-French expedition (operating since 1991) uncovered the "House of Life" — an ancient scientific school — inside the mortuary temple complex, along with administrative buildings, workshops (kitchens, bakeries, stonework, textile production), and storage cellars for olive oil, honey, and wine; Third Intermediate Period shaft tombs to the northeast yielded well-preserved canopic jars, ushabti figurines, and coffins [^6]
- Hermopolis Magna statue (2024): A joint Egyptian-American mission at El Ashmunein (ancient Hermopolis Magna) recovered the upper torso (~3.8 m tall) of a massive limestone seated statue of Ramesses II; the lower half had been found by German archaeologist Günther Roeder in 1930; the reunited statue stands ~7 m tall and was likely part of a temple entrance dedicated to Thoth; University of Colorado Boulder participated in documentation [^7]
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[^1]: Kitchen, K.A. *Pharaoh Triumphant: The Life and Times of Ramesses II* (1982)
[^2]: Tyldesley, J. *Ramesses: Egypt's Greatest Pharaoh* (2000)
[^3]: Wikipedia contributors. "Ramesses II." *Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_II
[^4]: "Ramesses II — Original Sarcophagus Identified Within the Valley of Kings." *Ancient Origins* (2025). https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/ramesses-ii-original-sarcophagus-identified-within-valley-kings-0020845
[^4]: "Ramesses II — Original Sarcophagus Identified Within the Valley of Kings." *Ancient Origins* (2025). https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/ramesses-ii-original-sarcophagus-identified-within-valley-kings-0020845
[^5]: Steinmeyer, N. "The Sarcophagus of Ramesses the Great." *Biblical Archaeology Society* (May 2025). https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/the-sarcophagus-of-ramesses-the-great/
[^6]: Steinmeyer, N. "Revealing the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II." *Biblical Archaeology Society* (April 2025). https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-egypt/revealing-the-mortuary-temple-of-ramesses-ii/
[^7]: "Lost for 96 Years Beneath the Nile, the Missing Half of a Legendary Egyptian Statue Has Finally Been Found." *The Daily Galaxy* (February 2026). https://dailygalaxy.com/2026/02/ramesses-ii-legendary-statue-finally-found/