Statues, engravings, frescoes… Ramses II has been immortalized many times in history. But this time he was modeled much more realistically. A team of scientists has reconstructed the face of the famous pharaoh at the age of 45 and at the end of his life, at 91, reveals franceinfo.
This work, led by the British forensic anthropologist Caroline Wilkinson, from Liverpool John Moores University, and the Egyptian Sahar Saleem, a paleorradiologist from the University of Cairo, will be announced in the program roots and wingsbroadcast on September 28 on France 3.
Skull scan and interpretations
To reconstruct the face of the man who ruled Egypt from -1279 to -1213, the scientists first used the scan of the skull of Ramses II, which had been mummified when he died almost 3,300 years ago.
“In Ramses II, there is a very wide nasal bone. It is, between the eyes, very high and very pronounced,” says Caroline Wilkinson in the documentary, in statements collected by franceinfo.
“The stronger a muscle is where it is anchored, the more its insertions will leave visible marks on the surface of the skull”, adds the anthropologist. After the skull and features, the reconstruction also looks at facial skin, such as color, wrinkles, or blemishes.
“It is not information that we obtain from the skull, specifies the anthropologist. Then we are in the interpretation. But it is based on the models of representation at this age”, explains Caroline Wilkinson.
Source: BFM TV
