Mummified skull of Amenhotep III

The mummified skull of Amenhotep III, photographed by Grafton Elliot Smith in 1912.

Originally buried in WV22 (Valley of the Kings), Amenhotep III’s mummy was moved in ancient times to Tomb KV35, the tomb of Amenhotep II, which was used by Egyptian priests around the Third Intermediate Period as a royal “mummy” cache (storage). Tomb KV35 became a haven to protect the deceased, with priests placing royal mummies from throughout varied reigns together in one space to prevent more damage and theft from ancient tomb robberies.

Despite the rather poorly preserved condition of Amenhotep III’s mummy (only his head is pictured here, but his mummified body does exist alongside his head), modern analysis of the king’s remains tell us he died around aged 50, which matches Grafton Elliot Smith’s estimation from over a century ago; that Amenhotep III’s age at death was likely 40–50 years.

Not much soft tissue remains on the king’s skull, and a few teeth are missing. Rather interestingly; a tooth was found in the oropharynx (throat) of the mummy, however, it is not likely Amenhotep lost these teeth in life, nor did he swallow a tooth. It is almost certain the damage to his teeth and disarray of the tooth in the throat was caused during the mummification process. Other than this, Amenhotep III’s teeth showcase the natural ageing and decay of someone of his age (50 years).

There are, however, “osteoarthritic bony growths” on multiple of the king’s joints, and multiple enthesopathies at the joints of his lower limbs. According to expert analysis, the bones of Amenhotep III do perhaps indicate “Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis” (DISH).
Amenhotep III’s mummy showcases the mummification techniques of his time period (18th Dynasty). Eye sockets are packed with “atrophic eye globes”, linen and resin. His torso is packed with resin soaked linens. Despite this traditional technique, his heart is not to be found.
No cause of death is recognizable, the injuries (broken bones) occurred post-mortem.

Article by Egypt- Museum. References: Hawass, Z.A., Saleem, S.N. and D’Auria, S. (2018) Scanning the pharaohs: CT imaging of the New Kingdom Royal Mummies. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.