Ramses the Great's Final Years: Twilight of a Supernova

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the last decades of Ramses II's astonishing 66-year reign. Drawing on forensic analysis of his mummy and contemporary records, we uncover how the aging pharaoh battled debilitating arthritis, a calcified aorta, and dental abscesses while still commissioning colossal monuments and fending off palace intrigue. We trace the painful loss of his many heirs—sons like Amunherkhepeshef and Khaemwaset predeceased him—forcing the throne to pass to the less charismatic Merenptah. Along the way, we examine the administrative decay and economic strains that set in during these twilight years, and how Ramses' obsessive self-glorification shaped his legacy. The episode ends with his final journey: death at around 90, embalming, burial in KV7, and the subsequent tomb robbery that scattered his remains. A poignant look at the human side of an empire's most powerful pharaoh. #RamsesII #AncientEgypt #FinalYears #Merenptah #KV7 #MummyStudies #EgyptianHistory #Userrenput-aanehktu #Kemet #Pharaoh #Succession #Arthritis #TombRobbery #NewKingdom #History #FexingoHistory #Egyptology #Aging Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo