Fitzwilliam Museum - Cambridge - Egyptian coffins - Sarcophagus lid of Ramesses III c.1198-1166 BC - For two thousand years Egyptian civilisation had been pre-eminent, indeed, Egypt had enjoyed a prestige throughout the world second to none. By the time of Rameses III, however, the world was going through great upheavals. That long period of stability in the Middle East brought about by Thutmose III and continued by Rameses II's treaties with the Hittites was about to come to an end. This was the time of the Trojan Wars and the fall of Mycenae. A time when age-old empires were weakened by complacent rulers and failed harvests - Rameses III's death marked the end of an era. He had ruled for 31 years and was the last of the great Pharaohs.