Ramses II's hair goes home to Egypt

Even his mummy remains very impressive to this day.

"Strands of hair from the head of the Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II came home to Egypt on Monday after the son of a French laboratory worker tried to sell them on the Internet, the state news agency MENA said.

An Egyptian archaeological mission had flown to Paris to bring home the strands, apparently taken from the mummy of Ramses when it went to France for treatment in the 1970s.

The seller had said he obtained the relics from his deceased father, who worked in the laboratory entrusted with analysing and restoring the mummy. He had offered to provide certificates of authenticity to buyers.

French archaeologists reacted with horror to news that the hairs were on sale and French authorities arrested the suspected seller in November.

Ramses II, also known as Ramses the Great, was born around 1304 BC and ruled Egypt for more than 60 years during the 19th dynasty of pharaohs. He is traditionally believed to be the pharaoh mentioned in the biblical story of Moses.

The mummy was discovered in 1881 and shortly afterwards moved to Cairo's Egyptian Museum. In the early 1970s authorities noticed his body was deteriorating and sent it to Paris, where it was treated for a fungal infection.

The seller had offered the strands for sale for between 2,000 and 2,500 euros ($2,670 and $3,340)."

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