Mummification is a way to preserve the body long after someone’s demise by drying the flesh. Besides that, it also uses certain chemicals to remove any moisture from the flesh and organs. Some of the most famous mummies in the world are in Egypt, at the Luxor’s Valley of the Kings.
Mummies have been a great topic of interest for most people worldwide. If you are one of them, here are some of the most famous mummies unearthed in Egypt. These discoveries date back to the past 100 years. And each of these mummies is as interesting as the next.
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun’s mummy is on display at his burial chamber in the underground tomb (KV62) in the Valley of the Kings. You can find it on the west bank of the Nile river opposite the southern Egyptian city of Luxor. The famous tomb had to undergo nine-year conservation by a dedicated team of international specialists.
In 1922, the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the prized mummy of pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The tomb, when discovered, was full of ancient treasures, such as jewelry, gilded shrines, and an interesting gold funerary mask. His death resulted from myriad conjectures. Finally, they proved that the Pharoah had died, sustaining injuries while hunting.
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut was Egypt’s most famous female pharaoh. And her remains are now in a glass case after being unveiled at the Cairo Museum. Hatshepsut was certainly one of the most prominent female figures in Egyptian history. She was a queen whose power and fame spread far and wide.
She was instrumental in setting up new trade routes. Besides that, she undertook ambitious building projects before breathing her last in 1458BC after reigning for 20 years. While Carter discovered her tomb in 1902, her sarcophagus turned empty. After much research, Egyptian archaeologists and his Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs Zahi Hawass found a molar tooth in a wooden box. This fit perfectly in a mummy’s upper jaw, confirming that it was Hatshepsut.
Thutmose III
Thutmose III was the son of Thutmose II; his mother was one of the king’s secondary wives or a lesser harem queen called Isis.
Thutmose III made a great impression on his subjects as he slowly but surely came away from under the shadow of the regent-turned-pharaoh Hatshepsut. After a few months, Thutmose III marched along with the 20,000 soldiers to Megiddo, in modern-day northern Israel or Armageddon as it was better known as. Scribes traveled with Thutmose III’s forces and recorded all about the campaign’s details, and it was an invaluable chronicle popular as the Annals of Thutmose III.
He was a brilliant military strategist and transformed Egypt into a wonderful nation. Historians called Thutmose the Napoleon of Egypt.
Ramesses II
Ramesses the Great or Ramesses II is one of the most famous Egyptian pharaohs. This is all thanks to his extensive campaigns and numerous monuments.
Because of the countless battles, he has fought, Ramesses’ body showed several pieces of evidence of healed injuries and arthritis. Hardened arteries and a large dental infection were causes of his death.
Ramesses II’s reign lasted for 60 years; he breathed his last when he was 90. He had fathered almost 100 children. His mummy was in the Valley of the Kings in 1881. They flew Ramesses II’s body to Paris in 1974 to treat fungal infection, and he was issued an Egyptian passport saying that the king was deceased.
Ahmose-Nefertari
She was born in the latter half of Ahmose-Nefertari in the ancient city of Thebes when her grandfather Senakhtenre Ahmosea was the ruler. She was the royal wife of Ahmose I, with whom she bore three sons. Her son Amenhotep I would finally take on the throne.
She was also the mother of two daughters, Ahmose-Meritamun and Ahmose-Sitamun, who became royal wives. Archeologists unearthed her presumed body in the 19th century with no visible identification marks, unwrapped in 1885 by Émile Brugsch.
Meritamen
Meritamen was the daughter and later the great royal wife of Pharaoh Ramesses the Great. Along with her half-sister Bintanath, she was in an incestuous marriage, which was popular in ancient Egypt.
Meritamen had several talents to boast of, such as singers, sistrum players, and dancers. She had earned several titles during her time. After her demise, her followers buried her in the Valley of the Queens. She is famous for her magnificent limestone statue at Ramesseum (a temple complex built by her father). You can also find her on the temple of Abu Simbel along with her other family members.
The Egyptian mummies still interest people with their fascinating history. Tell us what do you find the most fascinating about them?