Mummy of Amenhotep II

Amenhotep II, who reigned c. 1427–1401 B.C., strides through history as the son of an almost impossible act to follow. His father was Thutmose III, conqueror, empire-builder, and the very definition of the warrior-pharaoh. Amenhotep inherited not only a vast dominion, but a reputation already carved in stone. He was born into the Thutmosid line, grandson of Thutmose I, and likely the son of Merytre-Hatshepsut, raised amid military campaigns, court ritual, and the unrelenting expectation of strength.

Unlike some heirs, Amenhotep II did not shrink from comparison. His reign was marked by continued military activity in Syria-Palestine, firm control of Egypt’s empire, and an almost theatrical emphasis on personal athleticism. Inscriptions boast of archery feats, horsemanship, and physical endurance, presenting a king keen to be known not merely as a ruler, but as a man of sinew and stamina. He married into the royal elite, fathered the future Thutmose IV, and maintained the stability of Egypt’s 18th Dynasty at its imperial height.

Related: Mummy of Thutmose IV

In 1898, the French excavator Victor Loret made a discovery that set Amenhotep II apart from nearly every other king of the New Kingdom. Deep in the Valley of the Kings, within KV35, Loret found the pharaoh’s mummy still resting in his own sarcophagus, in his own tomb. Before the discovery of Tutankhamun, this was without parallel. While other royal bodies had been dragged, rewrapped, hidden, or scattered by centuries of robbery and priestly intervention, Amenhotep II alone had endured the full weight of time and violation without being displaced. His tomb would later become a refuge for reburied kings; but he himself remained unmoved, the original occupant and silent host.

The mummy of Amenhotep II is as arresting as his reputation. His facial features are remarkably clear, the flesh drawn tightly over bone, revealing a thin aquiline nose, pronounced cheekbones, and the characteristic Thutmosid overbite seen across the dynasty. His hair, once thick and wavy, survives in a reddish-brown hue, and as noted by Dr. Joann Fletcher, shows signs of greying, an intimate reminder of age rather than ageless divinity. Even in death, he appears unmistakably individual, not an anonymous god-king, but a man whose lineage, ambition, and physical presence were written into both history and bone.

“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 Dr. Joann Fletcher (#aff)

Healed injuries observed on the mummy of Amenhotep II

Amenhotep II’s mummy does not speak of a violent end, but of a life lived hard and survived. The body preserves clear traces of physical injury sustained and healed during his lifetime; the quiet signatures of accidents, blows, and strain endured rather than succumbed to.

These wounds had long since mended by the time of his death, their bones remodelled and settled, offering no hint of catastrophe in his final moments.

Whatever claimed the life of this warrior-king, it was not the injuries his body remembers, but something far more ordinary, and far less dramatic, than the legends carved in stone.

Related: Mummy of Thutmose III

Healed fractures of the ribs

X-ray examinations identified old, healed rib fractures, most likely sustained during adulthood. The fractures had fully remodelled bone, indicating survival for a significant period after injury. Such trauma is consistent with falls, chariot accidents, or blunt force impacts, all plausible risks for a warrior king who actively campaigned and trained.

Healed injury to the clavicle (collarbone)

There is evidence suggesting a healed fracture or stress injury to the clavicle. Clavicular fractures are common in falls or sudden impacts, again fitting well with strenuous physical activity rather than interpersonal violence.

Healed nasal trauma

Examinations noted damage to the nasal bones, consistent with a previous fracture that had healed. This injury would not have been life-threatening but suggests a blow to the face or a fall. The healing indicates it occurred well before death.

Generalised skeletal stress and remodelling

While not injuries in the dramatic sense, Amenhotep II’s skeleton shows robust muscle attachments and areas of bone remodelling, especially in the shoulders and arms. These are signs of repetitive physical strain, compatible with archery, weapon training, and chariot use; activities explicitly celebrated in his inscriptions.

What he did not show

• No evidence of perimortem trauma (injuries occurring at or near death)
• No embedded weapon points or sharp-force injuries
• No signs of deliberate execution, assassination, or battlefield death
• No skeletal trauma that could explain his cause of death

Taken together, Amenhotep II’s healed injuries support the image of a king who lived an active, physically demanding life and recovered from accidents or blows that would have incapacitated lesser individuals. They do not support dramatic narratives of violent death or constant warfare written into the body itself.

Condition & Cause of Death

His death remains medically unexplained, and his mummy instead preserves a quieter truth: survival, resilience, and the gradual accumulation of wear rather than catastrophe.

One of the most striking features of Amenhotep II’s mummy is the presence of numerous raised lumps or “bumps” beneath the skin, particularly visible on the back and upper body. Modern examinations, including X-ray and CT analysis, suggest these were subcutaneous nodules, likely benign growths such as calcified cysts, lipomas, or possibly long-standing inflammatory deposits. They appear to have developed during life rather than as a result of mummification damage, and there is no clear evidence that they were fatal or caused serious disability.

It is important to note that the exact nature of the skin bumps is not definitively diagnosed, both Egyptologists and palaeopathologists are careful here. Most describe them as likely benign subcutaneous nodules or calcified cysts based on imaging, distribution, and lack of associated trauma.

In the spring of 2021, Amenhotep II was moved once more, not in secrecy or haste, but in honour; during Egypt’s Pharaohs’ Golden Parade, transferred from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.

Three and a half millennia after his death, the warrior-king again passed through his city, watched by millions rather than priests. What his body has already revealed speaks of endurance rather than demise, of injuries healed and years survived.

And yet, his story is not finished. As science advances, through ever more refined, non-invasive imaging and analytical techniques, the silent evidence preserved within his mummy may still yield new insights, reminding us that the past is not fixed, but patiently waiting for the tools capable of listening more closely.

Summary:

Mummy of King Amenhotep II

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep II, c. 1427-1401 B.C.

Now in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Cairo. CG 61069