Ramesses III fought off the migrating Sea Peoples in the eighth year of his reign, and his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu preserves the only large-scale depiction of a naval battle from the ancient Near East.
Economic strain showed later: in his 29th year the workmen of Deir el-Medina laid down their tools over late rations. A CT scan of his mummy in 2012 revealed a deep cut to the throat, confirming that the harem conspiracy against him succeeded.
Key achievements
- Defeated the Sea Peoples in land and naval battles depicted at Medinet Habu.
- His reign saw the first recorded labour strike, by the tomb-builders of Deir el-Medina.
- He was killed in the "harem conspiracy", documented in surviving trial papyri.