The Coffin and mummy of Ramesses III

 The mummy indicates that Ramesses III lived to a reasonable age - about 65, four statuettes of the four sons of Horus were revealed by X-Ray to be on the left side of his chest.

Height of the body 1.683 metres.

The coffin which held Ramesses III was a crude, rough coffin of cartonnage - the original gold overlay had been stripped by robbers. The only decoration are the names and titles of the king which had been painted on the coffin.

(Such is the general confusion over the royal burials, another coffin base found in the tomb of Amenhotep II supplies another mummy with the identity of Ramesses III - but this has been identified as Amenhotep III).

 Who was Ramesses III ?

Second King of the 20th Dynasty - son of Sethnakhte (with whom he served as co-regent for a short period, Sethnakhte reigned only three years). Ramesses III has been referred to as 'the last great pharaoh of the New Kingdom'.

Ramesses III is probably most well known for defending his country from various attacks by the Libyans (led by the Meshwesh) (Years 5 and 11), the Sea Peoples (Year 8) , as well as rebellions in Nubia and campaigns in Palestine.

By this period Egypt was already declining - workers in Thebes held the world's first strike in order to get their pay, other unrest was also evident among all social classes. Ramesses III also problems within the palace - The Harim Conspiracy, was an attempt to assassinate the king and then to place the son of a secondary wife on the throne (the plot failed and led to the death of the conspirators).

Ramesses III was a great builder, his buildings include the great mortuary complex at Medinet Habu, three shrines at Karnak (dedicated to the gods Amun, Mut and Khons), and a palace at Leontopolis.