Ramses the Greats Stonemasons The Men Who Built the Temples

Ramses the Greats Stonemasons The Men Who Built the Temples

We know the grand temples of Ramses II — Abu Simbel, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu — but who actually carved the stone? This episode goes to the quarries at Gebel el-Silsila and Aswan, where thousands of stonemasons, draughtsmen, and labourers worked under the scribe Penre. Lucas and Luna discuss the chains of command, the tools (copper chisels, dolerite pounders, wooden levers), the working conditions, and the pay — beer, bread, and sometimes a bonus of oil. They also touch on the strike at Deir el-Medina under Ramses III, and a rare surviving letter from a mason named Bekenkhons. No kings, no gods — just the hands that made the monuments. #RamsesII #GebelElSilsila #AncientEgypt #Stonemasons #EgyptianQuarries #Penre #Bekenkhons #DeirElMedina #AbuSimbel #Ramesseum #MedinetHabu #CopperChisels #DoleritePounders #Kemet #Pharaoh #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Crown: The Dual Crown of Upper and Lower Egypt

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the significance of the pschent, the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt that Ramses the Great wore. They discuss the hedjet (white crown of Upper Egypt) and deshret (red crown of Lower Egypt), their origins in the Predynastic period, and how Ramses used the pschent as a symbol of his absolute authority over a unified Kemet. The conversation touches on the earliest artistic depictions of the crowns from the Naqada period, the Narmer Palette, and how Ramses incorporated the double crown into his colossal statues at Abu Simbel and his iconography at Medinet Habu. They also delve into the religious significance of the crowns as embodiments of the goddesses Nekhbet and Wadjet, and how the pschent was ritually placed on the pharaoh's head during coronation. This episode offers a detailed look at one of ancient Egypt's most potent symbols of kingship. #RamsesTheGreat #Pschent #DoubleCrown #UpperEgypt #LowerEgypt #Hedjet #Deshret #Nekhbet #Wadjet #AbuSimbel #MedinetHabu #NarmerPalette #Kemet #AncientEgypt #Pharaoh #EgyptianCrown #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Khaemwaset The First Egyptologist

Before there was modern archaeology, there was Prince Khaemwaset, the fourth son of Ramses the Great. Known as the 'First Egyptologist,' Khaemwaset was a high priest of Ptah in Memphis who spent decades restoring and studying the ancient pyramids and tombs of Egypt's Old Kingdom — structures already over a thousand years old in his own time. This episode explores his restoration work at Saqqara, his inscription on the Serapeum, his role in the Heb Sed festival, and his reputation as a magician and scholar in later Egyptian folklore. We also examine how his efforts fit into Ramses II's broader propaganda campaign to legitimize his rule by connecting to the glorious past. Featuring the Apis bull cult, the mastaba of Shepseskaf, and the 'Demotic Chronicle' — this is the story of a prince who dug into history, quite literally, to build a future. #Khaemwaset #FirstEgyptologist #RamsesTheGreat #AncientEgypt #Saqqara #Serapeum #ApisBull #Ptah #Memphis #HebSed #Egyptology #OldKingdom #PyramidRestoration #NewKingdom #NorthAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #Archaeology Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Great's Hittite Peace Treaty: The World's First

After decades of war, Ramses II and Hittite king Hattusili III carved out history's first surviving peace treaty. Written in Akkadian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphs, this silver-tablet agreement ended the conflict over Kadesh, established extradition protocols, and even settled a succession crisis. Lucas and Luna explore the realpolitik behind the treaty—how a famine, a shared enemy (Assyria), and a clever marriage sealed the deal. They also unpack the treaty's discovery in the Hittite capital Hattusa and its eerie echoes in modern diplomacy. A story of empires choosing pragmatism over pride. #RamsesII #HattusiliIII #PeaceTreaty #Kadesh #Hittites #AncientEgypt #BronzeAge #Diplomacy #Akkadian #Cuneiform #Hattusa #Assyria #Puduhepa #Maathorneferure #Kemet #History #FexingoHistory #AncientDiplomacy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Ramses the Greats Diplomatic Marriage to a Hittite Princess

In Episode 146 of Ramses the Great: Egypt's Most Powerful Pharaoh, hosts Lucas and Luna explore one of the most surprising alliances of the ancient world: the marriage between Ramses II and a Hittite princess after the stalemate at Kadesh. They delve into the diplomatic negotiations that led to the first known peace treaty in history, the exchange of letters between Ramses and Hattusili III, and the journey of the Hittite princess to Egypt. The episode covers the political motivations behind the marriage, the lavish ceremonies at Per-Ramesses, and the blending of cultures that resulted. Lucas explains how Ramses used the marriage as propaganda, covering temples with scenes of the princess arriving and the gods blessing the union. The conversation also touches on the broader context of the Late Bronze Age, the fragility of alliances, and what this marriage reveals about power, gender, and diplomacy in the ancient world. A fresh angle that hasn't been covered in prior episodes, this episode offers a nuanced look at how Ramses turned a military standoff into a personal and political victory. #RamsesII #HittitePrincess #EgyptianHittiteTreaty #PerRamesses #HattusiliIII #Kadesh #DiplomaticMarriage #LateBronzeAge #AncientDiplomacy #RoyalPropaganda #Maathorneferure #AncientMarriage #Egyptology #AmarnaLetters #History #FexingoHistory #NorthAfrica #AncientEgypt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]