Post by EvilSpiriT on Nov 1, 2018 5:22:40 GMT
Pharaoh Ramses II was issued an Egyptian passport for passage to France nearly three millennia after his death.
Ramses II was originally buried in a grand tomb in the Valley of the Kings, but was subsequently moved many times by priests who feared looters. He spent as little as three days in some places, and the priests recorded their actions on the wrappings on his body. Despite his resplendent wealth and power in life, his sarcophagus was lost to history, and by the time of his rediscovery, he was in deteriorating condition.
It was his poor condition that prompted Egyptian authorities to seek help preserving him in the mid-1970s. They found their experts in France and reluctantly decided to transport the 3,000-year-old mummy to Paris.
In order to leave the country, however, even a three-millennia-old king has to follow the rules. Egypt required anyone leaving the country, living or dead, to have the proper papers. Ramses II was issued a passport. Seemingly the first mummy to receive one, Ramses had his occupation listed as “King (deceased).” The government didn’t want him to get a passport for publicity, but believed it would afford them legal protections to ensure his safe return. Countless artifacts and mummies have been plundered and stolen from Egypt, and museums in Europe didn’t always respect Egyptian claims.
The study in Paris showed that Ramses stood five feet seven inches tall and had red hair. They found battle wounds, arthritis, and a tooth abscess. After his procedure, he was promptly returned to Egypt without any legal trouble.
The study in Paris showed that Ramses stood five feet seven inches tall and had red hair. They found battle wounds, arthritis, and a tooth abscess. After his procedure, he was promptly returned to Egypt without any legal trouble.
