Ramose (father of Senenmut)

Ramose was the father of Senenmut . Senenmut was one of the most important officials under the ruling ancient Egyptian queen ( pharaoh ) Hatshepsut . The simple origins of Ramose and the rise of his son Senenmut were long considered a prime example of high social mobility in ancient Egypt.

The receipts and the grave

Hatnofer's mummy mask

Ramose sitting behind his son Senenmut, on the right Hatnofer, Senenmut's false door

Ramose is known only from a few sources. He appears on the false door of Senenmut and was probably also mentioned in his chapel. His own grave was found 1935-1936 during the excavations at the grave of Senenemut not far from the chapel ( TT71 ) of the latter and was not robbed. The tomb of Ramose contained his body and that of his wife Hatnofer. There were also various other anonymous burials. The whole grave makes a comparatively simple impression and was considered evidence of the poor origins of Senenmut.

The question of the origin of Senenmut

Ramose only bears the title "Sab" ( S3b ), a presumed honorary title for an official. The excavator of the grave therefore suspected that Ramose was once only a farmer. However, it can often be observed that even high officials only bear the title "Sab" if the person is referred to posthumously . So the title says nothing about the social origin of the Ramose. What is striking, however, is the comparison of the burials of Ramose and his wife Hatnofer . The Hatnofer was given a whole set of grave goods (especially a heart scarab , a canopic box and papyri ), while Ramose only had his coffin. It has therefore been assumed that Hatnofer died when her son was already in a high position at the royal court, so that he could equip her with various accessories, while Ramose had died when the son and father themselves were still insignificant.

It has recently been suggested that Ramose was reburied in this tomb at the time when his wife died and Senenmut wanted both parents near his chapel. For some researchers it is unusual to find so many burials in the grave that the impression arises that numerous people died at the same time. This assessment basically assumes that all burials in a regular burial must have taken place at about the same time. However, it has probably been overlooked that multiple burials were a well-attested custom of the New Kingdom . During this period, graves were often left open and used for more than one person, even if they died at different times.

The coffin of Ramose is in any case covered with gold and thus indicates a very high social level of this person. The lack of a burial chapel is not surprising, with few exceptions there are none at all for the time before Hatshepsut.

On closer inspection of the sources, it appears that Ramose was quite a high official of the early 18th dynasty . The rise of his son to the highest government offices seems to be entirely within the realm of what is possible in Egyptian society.

literature

Ambrose Lansing, William C. Hayes : The Museum's Excavations at Thebes 1935-1936. In: Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (BMMA) No. 52, New York NY 1937, pp. 12-39.

Web links

Parents of Senenmut

Individual evidence

^ The false door (a) Lepsius - Tafelwerke, Department III, Volume V: New Reich. At: edoc3.bibliothek.uni-halle , last accessed on October 2, 2014.
^ Peter F. Dorman: The Monuments of Senenmut. Kegan Paul International, London / New York 1988, ISBN 0-7103-0317-3 , pp. 86-87.
↑ C. Raedler: In: Rolf Gundlach, Andrea Klug (ed.): The Egyptian monarchy in the field of tension between domestic and foreign policy in the 2nd millennium BC. BC (= royalty, state and society of early high cultures. Vol. 1). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 3-447-05055-1 , p. 308.
^ Peter F. Dorman: Family burial and commemoration in the Theban necropolis. In: N. Strudwick; J. Taylor (Ed.): The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future. British Museum Press, London 2003, ISBN 0-7141-2247-5 , pp. 30-41.
↑ Robert G. Morkot: NB-M ™ ov-ro United-with-Ptah. In: Journal of Near Eastern Studies 49, 1990, pp. 323-337; Wolfram Grajetzki: Class and Society. Position and Possessions. In: Willeke Wendrich (Ed.): Egyptian Archeology. (= Blackwell studies in global archeology. Vol. 13). Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester UK / Malden MA 2010, ISBN 978-1-4051-4987-7 , p. 192.

personal data
SURNAME	Ramose
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Father of Senenmut
DATE OF BIRTH	16th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	15th century BC Chr.

[1] The false door (a) Lepsius - Tafelwerke, Department III, Volume V: New Reich. At: edoc3.bibliothek.uni-halle , last accessed on October 2, 2014.

[2] Peter F. Dorman: The Monuments of Senenmut. Kegan Paul International, London / New York 1988, ISBN 0-7103-0317-3 , pp. 86-87.

[3] C. Raedler: In: Rolf Gundlach, Andrea Klug (ed.): The Egyptian monarchy in the field of tension between domestic and foreign policy in the 2nd millennium BC. BC (= royalty, state and society of early high cultures. Vol. 1). Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 2004, ISBN 3-447-05055-1 , p. 308.

[4] Peter F. Dorman: Family burial and commemoration in the Theban necropolis. In: N. Strudwick; J. Taylor (Ed.): The Theban Necropolis, Past, Present and Future. British Museum Press, London 2003, ISBN 0-7141-2247-5 , pp. 30-41.

[5] Robert G. Morkot: NB-M ™ ov-ro United-with-Ptah. In: Journal of Near Eastern Studies 49, 1990, pp. 323-337; Wolfram Grajetzki: Class and Society. Position and Possessions. In: Willeke Wendrich (Ed.): Egyptian Archeology. (= Blackwell studies in global archeology. Vol. 13). Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester UK / Malden MA 2010, ISBN 978-1-4051-4987-7 , p. 192.