The pharaoh Ramses III, who ruled Egypt in the 12th century B.C., had a scheming wife who was intent on murdering him to bring their son to the throne. The plot is documented in an ancient papyrus, but the exact circumstances of Ramses’ death have been unclear.

Now, researchers have used CT scans of the pharaoh’s mummy to reveal that his throat was slit.

“The big cut is in his throat, and it was very deep and large,” said Albert Zink, an anthropologist at the European Academy, who was involved in the research. “It would have killed him immediately.”

Dr. Zink, along with colleagues from Egypt, Italy and Germany, publish their findings about Ramses (sometimes spelled Ramesses) in the British medical journal BMJ.

The researchers also discovered an amulet in the king’s wound. Called the Eye of Horus, it was supposed to guard against accidents and restore the wearer’s strength.