This was caused by Egypt’s social, economic, and political instability at the time. At the end of the New Kingdom, the ruling powers of Thebes (the High Priests of Amun) had limited access to gold mines in the south and lacked the ability to import precious raw materials, like wood, from the north. However, recent reanalysis of the archaeological and textual evidence paints a more nuanced-picture of the situation in ancient Thebes. At first, Egyptologists believed that the cache was created in order to protect the burials of several New Kingdom pharaohs, their family members, and the High Priests of Amun. The coffin and its occupant were discovered within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari (TT320) in 1881.

Though stripped of its original embellishments, this late 18th Dynasty coffin is of the highest quality imported wood and was carefully reprocessed for the reburial of Ramesses II at the end of the New Kingdom.

The coffin of Ramesses II is one of the most-striking royal coffins discovered from ancient Egypt. Brugsch for the Antiquities Service, 1881Ĭurrent Location: Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt (CG 61020) Provenance: Deir el-Bahari Royal Cache, TT320Įxcavated by E. Greens, blues, yellows and some gilt areas are discolored and/or darkened.By Nicholas Brown, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles.ĭate: New Kingdom, 18th/19th Dynasties, ca. Formerly a large piece gone from lower edge of bib below left lappet, now filled and painted. Cracks running into right ear and along the area where neck meets right lappet and also across base of the neck. Face is unharmed with only a small chip gone from the tip of the nose. The body of the scarab and the sun disk have the most fractures.

All cracks visible but the original shape and form restored. Outer edges of bib decorated with representations of gods and floral and geometric motifs.Ĭondition: Top of head completely restored after being crushed. On top head a winged scarab with sun disk in relief. At neck, below a strand of gilt beads in relief, a broad collar with floral motifs. Below this the lappets are divided into zones with representations of gods, etc. Wearing a lappet wig with vertical stripes to cheek, of yellow and gilt. Short curly hair at forehead, modelled and painted black. One linen and stucco gilt mummy mask of a man.

Did mummy masks use gold