Scientists reconstruct the face of world’s wealthiest man ever

Through an amazing effort by scientists, after 3,400 years of his passing, the face of an ancient Egyptian king has been revealed.

With great efforts, the scientists recreated his face. Celebrated as ‘the wealthiest man ever in history’, this king, called Amenhotep III, was a very important leader in Egypt’s history.

Unveiling the Face of Amenhotep III: Recreating the Visage of the Wealthiest Man Ever

As detailed in a report by the New York Post, this significant achievement represents the first time Tutenkhamun’s ancestor, Amenhotep III’s face has been accurately depicted since ancient times.

It offers an interesting insight into the appearance of a ruler who wielded immense power in the ancient world. During the peak of Egypt’s dominance in the 14th century BC, Amenhotep III ruled and revered as a living God. He led the nation during a period of great prosperity and worldwide influence. Amenhotep III is considered one of the greatest pharaohs, more statues of him have survived than of any other ruler before him.

An international group of researchers used the preserved parts of III’s mummy’s skull to carefully recreate his face’s true features. They used advanced methods to accurately estimate the size and location of his lips, ears, eyes, and nose using information from living donors.

“If we are not mistaken, this is the first facial approximation of Amenhotep III. It is our gift to all those who appreciate history,” the Post quoted Brazilian graphics designer Cicero Moraes, who restored the famous Pharaoh’s face.

“We were amazed with the final result; seeing a complete bust with these colours and the facial serenity is quite satisfying. Compared to other approximations of pharaohs that I have participated in, this was the most complete too, as we modelled the clothes and accessories,” Moraes added.

It thought that the sun and air god, Amun, was his real father, which is why he was called Amenhotep. He oversaw big building projects in both Nubia and Egypt. According to experts, Amenhotep III was nearly bald, had problems with his teeth, and was overweight, sick, and not very active. He stood at five feet and 156 centimetres tall, making him one of the shortest monarchs. He passed away in 1352 BC at the age of 40 or 50.

“There are speculations that the mummy of Amenhotep III may have been entirely covered with gold leaf, so that he must have looked like a statue of a god,” Michael Habicht, an archaeologist at Flinders University in Australia was quoted saying by the New York Post .

“He might well have been one of the richest men that ever lived, at least in his epoch,” added Dr Habicht.

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