Of the dozens of Egyptian pharaoh mummies discovered to date, the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses I can be considered the mummy with the most tumultuous fate.
Going back in history, Ramesses I’s real name was Pramesse. He was a talented Prime Minister of Horemheb, the last pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty.
After Horemheb died without an heir, Pramesse became pharaoh with the reign name Ramesses I, the founding pharaoh of the 19th Dynasty of ancient Egypt.
Ramesses I ruled from about 1295 – 1294 BC. He died after only 2 years on the throne and was succeeded by his son Seti I.
After his death, Ramesses I was buried in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb was discovered by archaeologist Giovanni Belzoni in 1817 and named KV16.
Ramesses I’s new adventures began not long after. His mummy was stolen by a thief named Abu-Rᴀssul and sold on the black market before being recovered.
Around 1860, the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses I drifted at sea for months to reach America with Dr. James Douglas.
Nearly 150 years later, the mummy was returned to Egypt, on October 24, 2003.
According to general ᴀssessment, the mummy was preserved in quite good condition using traditional embalming methods similar to other Egyptian pharaohs. He was posed lying straight, his hands clasped on his chest, and his body wrapped in many layers of shroud.
Today, visitors can admire the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses I at the Luxor Museum in Egypt.