Previously, HouseWife reported on the Egyptian-British team’s recreation of the appearance of Ramses II at the height of his power. Now, researchers led by Brazilian digital designer Cicero Moraes have unveiled to the world what this remarkable ruler looked like shortly before his death.
To recreate the appearance of the elderly Ramses II, scientists utilized the mummified remains of the pharaoh. They also conducted numerous procedures to create a detailed and as accurate an image as possible.
How It Was Done
Ramses II, who reigned from 1279 to 1213 BC, was the most powerful pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, renowned primarily for his military exploits.
To reconstruct his appearance at the time of his death (when he was around 90 years old), researchers used a 3D model of his skull, layering soft tissues and skin over it. As a result, the team visualized a frail elderly man with a weathered face, some features of which resembled those of the giant statues of Ramses II that still stand in Egypt.
According to Cicero Moraes, the team conducted a thorough analysis, comparing the features of the reconstructed face with the statues of Ramses II. It turned out that the statues do not provide a very accurate depiction of the pharaoh. They, in particular, portray him with a thinner forehead, more pronounced lips, and chin.
To create the most accurate image, the scientists “also analyzed anthropometric data and DNA from the ancient Egyptian population,” noted the project leader. The team chose a skin tone for Ramses II that was commonly found in ancient Egyptian art, as the true skin color of the pharaoh remains unknown.
The researchers also utilized data from the 1976 study of Ramses II’s mummified remains, discovered in 1881. They learned that Ramses II had a noticeable overbite and that his teeth were significantly worn down. The pharaoh had bone issues and suffered from pain, as reported by the Daily Mail. Despite living a long life, by the end, he was losing his memory, and his forehead was marked by prominent veins, the researchers revealed.
The team also gathered data from hundreds of modern Egyptians to determine the possible thickness of the pharaoh’s skin in various areas of his skull.
Another step involved working with anatomical deformation, where the team used the face and skull of a living contemporary with a similar overbite. Through digital manipulation, they adjusted this data to fit the size of the pharaoh’s mummy.
Does This Image Resemble the Previous Reconstruction of Ramses II’s Face?
Experts believe that the result resonates with the earlier reconstruction of the pharaoh’s appearance mentioned at the beginning of this article.
The elderly Ramses II turned out to resemble the image of the pharaoh in middle age, created in 2022 by Professor Sahar Salim from Cairo University and Caroline Wilkinson, director of Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University.
At that time, the scientists also used a 3D model of the pharaoh’s skull. Using specialized software, they rejuvenated the ruler by nearly half a century to present him to the world at the peak of his powers. The result was a rather attractive man, noted Professor Salim.
“I believe the reconstructed face belongs to a very handsome Egyptian with features characteristic of Ramses II, particularly a prominently defined nose and jaw,” she said.