that the data furnished to Dr. Mahler by
Brugsch will admit of such exact conclusions being drawn
from them, and I should fix the fifty-four years of the
reign of Thutmosis III. in a less decided manner, between
1550 and 1490 b.c., allowing, as I have said before, for an
error of half a century more or less in the dates which go
back to the time of the second Theban empire.

[Illustration: 041.jpg HEAD OF THE MUMMY OF THUTMOSIS III.]

Drawn by Boudier, from a photograph lent by M. Grebaut,
taken by Emil Brugsch-Bey.

Happily the face, which had been plastered over with pitch at the time
of embalming, did not suffer at all from this rough treatment, and
appeared intact when the protecting mask was removed. Its appearance
does not answer to our ideal of the conqueror. His statues, though
not representing him as a type of manly beauty, yet give him refined,
intelligent features, but a comparison with the mummy shows that the
artists have idealised their model. The forehead is abnormally low, the
eyes deeply sunk, the jaw heavy, the lips thick, and the cheek-bones
extremely prominent; the whole recalling the physiognomy of Thutmosis
II., though with a greater show of energy. Thutmosis III. is a fellah of
the old stock, squat, thickset, vulgar in character and expression, but
not lacking in firmness and vigour.* Amenothes II., who succeeded him,
must have closely resembled him, if we may trust his official portraits.
He was the son of a princess of the blood, Hatshopsitu II., daughter of
the great Hatshopsitu,** and consequently he came into his inheritance
with stronger claims to it than any other Pharaoh since the time of
Amenothes I. Possibly his father may have associated him with himself on
the throne as soon as the young prince attained his majority;*** at any
rate, his accession aroused no appreciable opposition in the country,
and if any difficulties were made, they must have come from outside.

* The restored remains allow us to estimate the height at
about 5 ft. 3 in.

** His parentage is proved by the pictures preserved in the
tomb of his foster-father, where he is represented in
company with the _royal mother_, Maritri. Hatshopsitu.

*** It is thus that Wiedemann explains his presence by the
side of Thutmosis III. on certain bas-reliefs in the temple
of Amada.

It is always a dangerous moment in the existence of a newly forme