In the year 1155 BC, members of an Egyptian pharaoh’s harem
hatched a plot to assassinate him. But did they succeed? The
"harem conspiracy" against Ramses III remains one of ancient
Egypt's scandalous tales of deadly intrigue. But scholars have
been unable to determine whether the god-king was actually
killed in the attack. Now, a fresh examination of Ramses III’s
mummy finds that the unfortunate pharaoh’s throat was slit. The
report, released Monday by the journal BMJ, also strengthens the
case that that another mummy may have been one of the
perpetrators – Ramses III’s own son, Pentawere. Ramses III’s
secondary queen, Tiy, and her son, Prince Pentawere, conspired
with others to kill Ramses III and usurp the throne. Ramses III
had handpicked another, older son from a more senior wife as
successor, a fact that apparently did not sit well with Tiy and
her co-conspirators. The plot was ultimately unsuccessful: The
older son assumed the throne and became Ramses IV, per his
father’s wishes. Meanwhile, Tiy, Pentaw