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Primary sourceArtifact

Two-Part Cartouche of Ramesses II

A limestone cartouche bearing the name of Ramesses II, found south of Gaza, likely once part of an Egyptian fortress along the coastal route.

This cartouche bears Ramesses II's royal name and marks Egyptian presence in a fortress linked to his reign.

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A cracked, weathered limestone block carved in raised relief with two rounded cartouche-like shapes at top and two tall rectangular cartouche outlines with hieroglyphic signs, displayed on a dark stand in a museum case.
Two-part limestone cartouche of Ramesses II, found south of Gaza. Hecht Museum, Haifa.

About this source

What it is

This is a two-part limestone block carved with cartouches, oval frames that hold a pharaoh's royal name, bearing the name of Ramesses II. It was discovered south of Gaza, where it is thought to have been set into an Egyptian fortress along the ancient coastal road. It is now displayed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa.

Why it matters

Objects like this cartouche mark Egyptian control and presence far beyond the Nile Valley, showing how Ramesses II's name and authority extended into fortified outposts along important trade and military routes. It is physical evidence of the reach of his rule.

Look closer

  • Why might a pharaoh's name be carved into a fortress far from the center of his kingdom?
  • What does the cracked and weathered condition of the stone tell you about its age and history?
  • What questions can't this single carved block answer about daily life at the fortress?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Ramses II (Ramses the Great) on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Two clay cuneiform tablets on a clear acrylic stand against a red background. The larger tablet is broken into several fragments, covered in dense wedge-shaped writing. A smaller tablet fragment sits at lower right, also inscribed.Document

Primary source

Egyptian–Hittite Peace Treaty

c. 1258 BCE

Sepia photograph of the facade of the Abu Simbel temple in Egypt, with four seated colossal statues of Ramesses II carved into the rock. A small standing man at lower left shows scale. A doorway lies between the middle statues, and hieroglyphs are carved across the upper wall.Photograph

Secondary source

Abu Simbel Temple Colossi

Pascal Sébah · 1875

Facade of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel carved into a sandstone cliff under a clear blue sky. Four seated colossal statues of a pharaoh flank the central doorway, with a sand-covered walkway leading up to the entrance.Artifact

Primary source

Abu Simbel

Ramesses II · c. 1273 BCE

Sepia photograph of the Abu Simbel temple facade in Egypt. A colossal seated stone statue of a pharaoh with a striped headdress dominates the right. Beside it stands a statue of a falcon-headed god wearing a sun disk. Relief carvings and hieroglyphs cover the wall, and a small seated man at the bottom gives scale. Caption reads Abou Simbel, Gd Temple, Le dieu Soleil Ra et Rhamses II, P. Sébah.Photograph

Secondary source

Facade Detail of Abu Simbel Showing Ramesses II and Ra

Pascal Sébah · 1875

Sepia photograph of the ruined Ramesseum temple at Luxor, Egypt. Four fallen-headed colossal seated statues stand before a sandstone gateway with carved hieroglyphs on its lintel. A broken statue lies in the foreground, and a small figure sits near the base of the statues. Desert and a column are visible on the left.Photograph

Secondary source

Ramesseum Colossi in Ruins

Pascal Sébah · c. 1875

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