Expert: Maria - 4/13/2007

Question
I know that this may be out of your field of expertise but,I was wondering how was King Ramses II mummy found? As in did they find him in his coffin and/or other sarcophaguses? If they did, do you know any websites where I can find pictures of his coffins and sarcophaguses and a description of them as well as how they were put together and how many there were? Also did King Ramses II have a deathmask with him at the time he was found. I'm just doing a little model of his mummy and need to know about his coffins and sarcophaguses and stuff. Thanks,

Anja  

Answer
Hello,

Ancient Egypt is not my field of expertise, as you say.

Anyway I can tell you that the mummy of Ramses II, perhaps the greatest and powerful Pharaoh of ancient Egypt, who reigned from 1304 to 1237 BC, was discovered in 1881 inside a simple wooden coffin  among a group of royal mummies that had been removed from their original tombs for fear of theft. Priests of the 21st Dynasty (1081-931 BC) had reburied them in a cache at Deir Al-Bahari on Luxor's west bank. The tomb of Ramses II was before located in the Valley of the Kings and his mummy is thought to be one of the best-preserved mummies ever found.

For more information see at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramesses_II#Mummy

http://fe13.news.re3.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070330/od_nm/egypt_mummy_dc

http://www.kingtutone.com/pharaohs/ramses2/

http://touregypt.net/featurestories/ramesses2intro.htm

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Gerard_Flament/ramstomb.htm

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ramesses2t.htm

http://www.egyptiandreams.co.uk/keywords/ramesses/pyramid%20of%20king%20ramses%2...

http://www.specialtyinterests.net/ramses2.html#great

For Coffin see at:
http://www.egyptianmuseum.gov.eg/details.asp?which2=656

For a Colossal head of Ramses II see at:
http://www.randafricanart.com/The_Quest_for_Immortality_Treasures_of_Ancient_Egy...

Hope this helps.
Regards,
Maria