Artificial intelligence can reconstruct what Pharaoh Ramses II (1303 – 1213 BC) might have looked like.Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, was the third pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. He is regarded as the greatest, most celebrated, and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom Age, as well as the most powerful pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. He was considered the “Great Ancestor” by his successor and heir, Usimare Setepenre, “The Chosen One of Ra”. He is also known as Ozymandias in Greek sources, from the first verse of Ramesses’ poem, Usimare Setepenre, “The Chosen One of Ra”, “The King of Kings”.Ramesses II led several military expeditions into the Levant, reasserting Egyptian control over the Canaan region. He also led expeditions south into Nubia, documented in inscriptions at Beit el-Wali and Gerf Hussein. The period of his reign witnessed the construction of cities, temples and monuments. He established the city of Pi-Ramesses in the Nile Delta as his new capital and used it as a base for his campaigns in Syria. At first, he was supported by his father, Seti I. He is believed to have taken the throne in his late teens and is credited with reigning over Egypt from 1279 to 1213 BC.Estimates of Ramesses II’s age vary; most contemporary Egyptologists place him on the throne on 31 May 1279 BC, based on the date of his father, Seti I’s, accession on the 27th. Estimates of his age at death vary; 90 or 91 is considered the most likely. Ramesses II celebrated a series of jubilee festivals or sed festivals during his reign, beginning 30 years into his reign, and then every three years thereafter. At his death, he was buried in a tumulus in the Valley of the Kings; his body was later moved to a cache box where it was discovered in 1881, and is now on display at the Egyptian Museum.In 1975, Maurice Bucaille, a French surgeon, examined the mummy at the Cairo Museum and found it in poor condition. French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was successful in convincing the authorities to send the mummy to France for treatment. In September 1976, it was treated at Paris-Le Bourget Airport with full medical equipment before being taken by ambulance to the Musée de l’Hôtel.The mummy was forensically examined by Professor Pierre-Fernand Ceccaldi, the head of forensic medicine at the Paris Institute of Criminology. Ceccaldi determined that: “Here, astonishingly, it showed some dental characteristics — especially concerning pigmentation: Ramesses II was a natural reddish blond.” The diagnosis led to a paroxysm of the press with red curls. Subsequent electron microscopy of the roots of Ramesses II’s hair proved that the king’s hair was originally red, suggesting that he came from a red hair line. This has more than just a cosmetic significance: in ancient Egypt people with red hair were associated with the god Seth, the lord of death, darkness and chaos, and Ramesses II’s father and mother, Seti I, were “followers of Seth.”In 1976, the mummy of Ramses II was sent to France for forensic analysis, revealing a surprising detail: his naturally reddish hair. This find, confirmed by electron microscopy, links the pharaoh to the Egyptian god Seth, associated with chaos and death. Ramses II, descended from worshippers of Seth, challenges conventional interpretations of Egyptian royalty, sparking debates about his lineage and symbolism. This fascinating revelation adds a mystical dimension to the story of the legendary pharaoh.
In 1975, Maurice Bucaille, a French surgeon, examined the mummy at the Cairo Museum and found it in poor condition. French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing was successful in convincing the authorities to send the mummy to France for treatment. In September 1976, it was treated at Paris-Le Bourget Airport with full medical equipment before being taken by ambulance to the Musée de l’Hôtel.The mummy was forensically examined by Professor Pierre-Fernand Ceccaldi, the head of forensic medicine at the Paris Institute of Criminology. Ceccaldi determined that: “Here, astonishingly, it showed some dental characteristics — especially concerning pigmentation: Ramesses II was a natural reddish blond.” The diagnosis led to a paroxysm of the press with red curls. Subsequent electron microscopy of the roots of Ramesses II’s hair proved that the king’s hair was originally red, suggesting that he came from a red hair line. This has more than just a cosmetic significance: in ancient Egypt people with red hair were associated with the god Seth, the lord of death, darkness and chaos, and Ramesses II’s father and mother, Seti I, were “followers of Seth.”