Scientists have created the face of an Egyptian king, who is considered the richest man who ever lived. According to a New York Post report, this is the first time in 3,400 years that the face of Amenhotep III, the grandfather of Tutenkhamun, has been recreated. Amenhotep III ruled Egypt in the 14th century BC, at the height of its power, and was worshipped as living god. He led the country through a period of unprecedented prosperity and international power. Amenhotep III is considered one of the greatest pharaohs and has more surviving statues than any other.
A multinational team used the data from skull of his mummy to reveal how Amenhotep III really looked like. They then used data from living donors to approximate the dimensions and position of his nose, ears, eyes and lips.
"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 resurrected the famous Pharaoh's face, as saying.
"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 further said.
Amenhotep was named after the sun and air god Amun, who he claimed was his real father. He undertook massive building contracts in Egypt and Nubia.
The Post report said that the wealth of the Egyptian king was unparalleled, citing his diplomatic letters.
"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," said Dr Michael Habicht, an archaeologist at Flinders University in Australia.
The expert said Amenhotep III was an obese, sick, and sedentary man, who was almost bald, and suffered from dental problems. His body height is about 156cm (around 5ft1), making him one of the smallest kings.
"He might well have been one of the richest men that ever lived, at least in his epoch," said Dr Habicht.
He died at the age of 40 or 50 in 1352 BC, said the outlet.
