In 1976, the 3,000-year-old mummy of Ramesses II was found to have a fungal infection.
The embalmed body of the Egyptian pharaoh was flown from Cairo to Paris for a once-in-a-deathtime makeover.
It received a royal welcome at the airport, and was guarded throughout its restoration, which took place at the Musee de l’Homme.
Anne-Marie Goden worked as a receptionist at the museum. She tells Gill Kearsley the extraordinary story of the restoration.
Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.
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(Photo: The mummy of Ramesses II being examined in Paris. Credit: Tony Comiti/Sygma via Getty Images)