The face of an Egyptian pharaoh was deified after his death.

Graphics experts recreate the face of pharaoh Amenhotep I, who created the Valley of the Kings and rewrote ancient Egyptian history.

Cicero Morares , a Brazilian 3D designer specializing in portrait reconstruction, created the image of Pharaoh Amenhotep I by combining multiple faces created using a variety of methods, Sun reported on September 26. Amenhotep I, the second king of the 18th Dynasty in Egypt, died 3,500 years ago at the age of about 35 before being mummified . He was the first pharaoh to be buried in the Valley of the Kings, the resting place of most pharaohs of the 18th, 19th and 20th Dynasties. Amenhotep I was worshiped as a god after his death , mainly because he brought Egypt into a period of peace and prosperity during his reign.

Portrait of Pharaoh Amenhotep I of the 18th Dynasty of ancient Egypt. (Photo: Cicero Morares)

One method Morares used involved placing soft-tissue thickness markers on the pharaoh's skull, based on computed tomography (CT) scan data from the donor. Another technique he employed was called anatomical deformation, in which a digital reconstruction of the donor's head was adjusted until it matched the pharaoh's skull.

Morares began his reconstruction using a CT scan of Amenhotep I's skull taken in 2021. Research by Cairo University paleoradiologist Sahar N. Saleem and Egyptologist Zahi Hawass digitally "unwrapped" the pharaoh's mummy, revealing details about his appearance, bone structure, and some of his preserved internal organs, including his heart and brain.

The scans do not reveal the cause of Amenhotep I's death, but researchers estimate his age at death to be 35 and that the pharaoh suffered multiple postmortem injuries that may have been caused by tomb robbers or by his embalmer who later wrapped his body, according to archaeologist Michael Habicht of Flinders University in Australia. Amenhotep I was about 1.7 metres tall, his teeth were in good condition and he had curly hair.

Comparing the data with all the estimates, Morares' team created busts and completed the portraits using historical clothing. Morares found that the reconstructed faces did not match the gods depicted on the statues. "Many pharaohs, such as Amenhotep, had receding chins or deep bites, which were not reflected in the statues. Overall, the statue of Amenhotep I matches the reconstructions in terms of the nose, but the forehead between the eyebrows is more slender and the chin is more prominent ," Morares noted.

Amenhotep I was the son of King Ahmose I and when his father died, Amenhotep I succeeded to the throne in Thebes, while he was still a child. He ruled from about 1525 to 1506 BC. Amenhotep I was deified after his death and became the patron god of the village he founded at Deir el-Medina.