The French excavator Victor Loret found the mummy of Amenhotep II in 1898, still resting in his own sarcophagus in his tomb (KV35) in the Valley of the Kings. At that time, before the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun, he was the only king whose mummy had survived the vicissitudes of continued robbery and defilement and remained in his own sarcophagus in his own tomb.
Amenhotep II (sometimes called Amenophis II and meaning ‘Amun is Satisfied’) was the seventh king of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. Amenhotep inherited a vast kingdom from his father Thutmose III, and held it by means of a few military campaigns in Syria; however, he fought much less than his father, and his reign saw the effective cessation of hostilities between Egypt and Mitanni, the major kingdoms vying for power in Syria.
Mummy of King Amenhotep II
The mummy long brown hair, including some white ones and a patch of baldness over the upper occipital and parietal regions. The well‐worn teeth indicated that Amenhotep II was much older than Thutmose IV, somewhere between 40 and 50 years of age.
Historical sources described Amenhotep II as a strong, powerful and sportive man, with a sinister tendency to brutality in warfare, which would generally concur with the physical appearance of his mummified body.
The tomb also contained a cache of the mummies of eight other kings and queens, moved there during the Third Intermediate Period to protect them from the ravages of grave robbers.
The Burial Chamber of Amenhotep IIPhoto: Jean-Dominique Dallet
“The mummy of Amenhotep II was found in his sarcophagus in his tomb in 1898. The King was middle-aged when he died; his mummy has wavy brown hair that has started to turn grey.”
— Chronicle of a Pharaoh, The Intimate Life of Amenhotep III, by Joann Fletcher
Amenhotep II, also known as Amenhotep the Great, was an ancient Egyptian king who ruled during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom period. He is known for several achievements during his reign.
One of Amenhotep II’s notable achievements was his military campaigns. He conducted successful military expeditions to various regions, including Nubia, Syria, and Palestine. These campaigns helped to expand Egypt’s influence and secure its borders.
The Mummy of Amenhotep II
Amenhotep II also focused on building and renovating temples and monuments throughout Egypt. He made significant contributions to the construction of the Karnak Temple complex in Thebes, which was dedicated to the god Amun. He also built a mortuary temple for himself in Thebes, known as the “House of Millions of Years.”
Additionally, Amenhotep II is known for his athletic prowess. He was an accomplished charioteer and archer, and he organized and participated in various sporting events and competitions. He even left behind detailed records of his victories and achievements in these activities.
Overall, Amenhotep II’s achievements include military successes, architectural contributions, and athletic accomplishments, all of which left a lasting impact on ancient Egyptian history.
