The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 captivated the world. Despite being a relatively minor king, his burial chamber was a kaleidoscope of over 5,000 breathtaking artifacts, a testament to the unimaginable wealth and artistic prowess of ancient Egypt. This incredible find immediately begs a tantalizing question: if a lesser pharaoh’s tomb held such astounding riches, what unimaginable splendor must have filled the final resting places of Egypt’s truly great rulers, like the legendary Ramesses II?
Ramesses II, often hailed as “Ramesses the Great,” reigned for an astonishing 66 years (c. 1279–1213 BCE). His reign was a golden age of monumental building projects, military might, and artistic flourishing. He was a pharaoh who commanded immense resources and prestige, and his tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV7) was undoubtedly designed to reflect his unparalleled status.
The Mystery of the Plundered Pharaoh
Sadly, unlike Tutankhamun’s miraculously preserved burial, the original contents of Ramesses II’s tomb remain largely a mystery. Like many royal tombs in ancient Egypt, KV7 was extensively plundered in antiquity. Grave robbers, driven by the allure of gold and precious stones, meticulously stripped these sacred resting places of their treasures, leaving behind little more than fragmented decorations and the pharaoh’s carefully reburied mummy (which was later found in the famous Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari).
The loss of Ramesses II’s funerary wealth is a profound tragedy for archaeology, as it deprives us of a direct look into the complete panoply of objects intended to accompany such a powerful king into the afterlife. One can only conjure images of golden sarcophagi within sarcophagi, crowns encrusted with jewels, intricate furniture, countless amulets, and offerings made of the most exquisite materials – a dazzling display surpassing anything found in Tutankhamun’s smaller tomb.
Glimpses of Lost Opulence: Surviving Royal Jewels
Despite the widespread plundering, a few remarkable pieces of royal Egyptian jewelry have managed to survive the ravages of time and theft, offering tantalizing hints of the magnificence once sealed within these grand tombs. These treasures have come to light through various avenues:
- Dedicated archaeological excavations: Careful, systematic digs by Egyptologists continue to unearth previously unknown artifacts.
- Ancient looting stashes: Sometimes, ancient thieves would hide their ill-gotten gains in secondary caches, which were then forgotten and later rediscovered.
- Sheer serendipity: In one particularly fascinating instance, railway workers accidentally stumbled upon a buried trove. Archaeologists later theorized that this was a hidden cache belonging to ancient looters, secreted away over 2,000 years ago, perhaps to be retrieved later but never claimed.
Among these precious survivors is a magnificent pair of gold and lapis lazuli bangles, boldly inscribed with the name of Ramesses II. While it’s impossible to say with certainty whether the great pharaoh himself actually wore them, their very existence speaks volumes. Crafted with exquisite skill, combining the lustrous gleam of gold with the deep, celestial blue of lapis lazuli (a highly prized stone in ancient Egypt), these bangles embody the pinnacle of royal craftsmanship and aesthetic.
These surviving pieces, however rare, serve as powerful reminders. They force us to imagine the sheer scale of the treasure that once accompanied Egypt’s most powerful kings into eternity. The phantom riches of Ramesses II’s tomb continue to fuel our imagination, a testament to the enduring allure of ancient Egypt and the tantalizing mysteries that still lie beneath its sands.
