The Ancient Egyptian noble, Ramose was Vizier under both Amenhotep III and
Akhenaten. He was in office in the last decade of Amenhotep's III reign and at
the beginning of the reign of the latter king. Ramose appears on jar labels
found in the palace of king Amenhotep III at Malkata. Here appears also the
vizier Amenhotep-Huy. Both viziers are also shown side by side in the temple
of Soleb. In the New Kingdom the office of the vizier was divided in a
northern vizier and a southern one. It is not entirely clear whether Ramose
was the southern or northern one.
Ramose was born into an influential family. His father was the mayor of
Memphis Heby, in office at the beginning of Amenhotep's III reign. The brother
of Ramose was the high steward of Memphis Amenhotep (Huy).
The Theban Tomb TT55 is located in Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, part of the Theban
Necropolis, on the west bank of the Nile, opposite to Luxor. It is the burial
place of the Ancient Egyptian Vizier, Ramose. It has a main room originally
containing 32 columns and a corridor with 8 columns. This tomb is notable for
the high quality decorations in both the traditional and Amarna styles.
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Entering the Theban Necropolis
The Theban Necropolis is a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile,
opposite Thebes (Luxor) in Upper Egypt.
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Tomb of Ramose Plan
Plan Legend:
- Broad stairway
- Forecourt
- Transverse hall
- Inner room
- Facade
- Entrance passage
- East wall, south part
- East wall, north part
- South wall, upper register
- South wall, lower register
- West wall, south part
- West wall, the entrance to the inner room
- West wall, north part, left of the window of appearances
- West wall, north part, middle of the wall
- West wall, north part, right of the window of appearances
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Arriving at the tombs of Ramose (TT55), Userhat (TT56) and Khaemhat
(TT57)
Leading down to the large forecourt (Plan N. 2) of the tomb was a broad
stairway (Plan N. 1) of 25 steps cut out of the rock.
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A ramp down the middle of these steps was for the lowering of a
sarcophagus.
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The forecourt was irregular in form because the architect had chosen
to respect earlier tombs.
- The original courtyard enclosure is no longer visible today.
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Information sign about the Tomb of Ramose (TT55)
It has a main room originally containing thirty-two columns and a
corridor with eight columns.
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This tomb is notable for the high quality decorations in both the
traditional and Amarna styles.
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Tomb facade (Plan N. 1)
The facade has only slight traces preserved of the entrance and has been
mostly restored. The door jambs and architrave stand out from the front
wall surface. On some fragments of this door jamb and the architrave one
can see remains of reliefs and traces of painting.
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At the top of the heavily damaged outer side of the entrance Ramose is
shown kneeling, his hands raised in a gesture of adoration.
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On both door jambs below, he is seated in a chair with lion's feet;
his hands hold a sekhem sceptre and a staff; as the word
sekhem means "authority" or "power", the former symbolizes
power and the latter hints his high rank.
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Entrance passage (Plan N. 2)
The entrance passage itself is also badly preserved.
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On the left (south), Ramose and his wife adore the sun god, as bits of
the text confirm.
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On the right (north), Ramose is entering the tomb. The few traces of
the text that remain contain words suggesting that he is appealing to
Osiris, as would be expected.
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East wall of the Transverse hall (Plan N. C) and Entrance (Plan N. 2)
to the tomb
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Axis of the Transverse hall (Plan N. C)
Only three walls of the transverse hall were decorated, while the
northeast wall and the rest of the tomb's walls were left blank.
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This hall was transformed into a large columned hall. Four rows of
eight papyrus-bundle columns once supported the roof. Only bases or
stumps remain. The axis to the longitudinal hall is emphasised.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall of the Transverse hall (Plan N. C) and entrance to the
Inner room (Plan N. D)
In the inner room there were once eight columns, smaller than in the
transverse hall, which are now destroyed.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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East wall (Plan N. 3-4)
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East wall (Plan N. 3-4)
The usual scenes of sacrifice to the solar deities and, in second line,
to gods of burial are placed on both sides of the entrance, according to
custom.
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On the north side Ramose makes the offering, accompanied by his wife
and the servants of his household.
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On the south side she is absent and, in her place, certain officials
are given increased importance both in stature and quality of
execution, and here it is the utterance of the words accompanying the
offering which is indicated by the attitude of Ramose.
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The offerings are arranged in the same way, except in one instance
where the tip of a cone of fat shows that an assistant is bringing
this adjunct to the offering.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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East wall, south part (Plan N. 3)
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Ramose making offerings to the Sun
Just beside the entrance Ramose consecrates opulent offerings to
«Amun-Ra, King of the Gods, Ra-Harakhte, Atum, Khepri».
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He is wearing the official dress of the vizier: sandals and a long
smooth tunic reaching up to his chest, suspended by narrow shoulder
straps.
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In front of him are three tall offering stands, furnished with geese,
meat and bread. Between them are lotus flower bouquets.
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The tongues of flames from charcoal (?) surround them indicate that
these are burnt offerings.
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The two mats shown above are loaded with food and ointment jars, on
which papyrus blossoms have been laid.
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Attendants
Ramose is followed by three registers of attendants, but the top one of
them has been completely destroyed, only the associated descriptive
horizontal inscription is partially preserved.
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The delicate bodies of the attendants in the middle registre are
emphasized by their light fine garments, their noble visages are
enhanced by luxurious wigs.
- Each of them holds three papyrus stems and leaves bouquet.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Slaughter scene
The bottom registre shows six well-dressed offering bearers moving to
the left, and ending at a slaughter scene.
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A servant bends over and with a knife butchers a cow body laid on the
mat. Another butcher is only barely recognisable. A third man brings
along the head of this animal. The text reads: «A pure offering to
your Ka…»
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The visual overlapping of the two persons is worthy of note. This
makes the scene especially lively. Normally, the Egyptian artist
avoids overlapping.
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At the left end of this scene stand three singers, their song written
before and above them.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Relatives participating in the consecrated meal
The subsequent scenes of relatives participating in the consecrated meal
are the tomb's most famous scenes.
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All persons have carefully sculpted faces, opulent perfect rippled
wigs, luxurious necklaces and sit on lion-footed chairs.
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As a sign of their conjugal union, wives embrace their husbands
tenderly.
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These reliefs are among the finest and most careful creations in
Egypt. The equally carefully crafted text in each case explains the
depictions and whom we are looking at.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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First human pair
In the lower half the first human pair are both men. The man in front is
«the overseer of the hunters of [Amun], Keshy». The one in the back is
unknown because the text on him has not been executed.
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Both hold a so-called handkerchief in their hands. This handkerchief
is interpreted in different ways.
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It seems to be an insignia of social status, because it is only found
in the hands of the king and high officials, but almost never in the
hands of women.
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A detailed study of this attribute concludes that the "handkerchief"
could be the tail or also the paw the skin belonging to a large
predatory cat, which is also well known as a cape for a
sm priest.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Second human pair
Seated after the previous pair are May, the horse supervisor and Werel,
his wife.
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The caption explains: «receiving the offerings daily (and) what comes
forth before [Amun]. They are twice pure, for the ka of the overseer
of the horses of the lord of the Two Lands, royal messenger throughout
all foreign lands, excellent, confidant, of the sovereign, whose
favour lasts with the lord of the Two Lands, May, justified, and his
beloved wife (lit. sister) favourite of Mut, the mistress of Asheru,»
(Asheru is the name of the Mut-Temple in Karnak) «the mistress of the
house Werel (or Werener) justified".
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Werel wears a diadem of blossoms and holds lotus blossoms in her right
hand. The knot of her dress, beneath a breast, subtly emphasizes her
graceful figure.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Third human pair
Seated in front of this couple are Ramose's parents Neby/Heby and Ipuya.
He holds a so-called 'handkerchief' in his left hand in front of his
chest.
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The text reads: «Everything which comes forth from the altar of
Wenenefer, the lord of eternity. Breathing the sweet breeze of the
north wind, Receiving the offerings from his altar like the great ones
who are in his entourage, from the daily requirements of every day;
for the ka of his father, the overseer of the cattle of [Amun] and the
overseer of the double granary of [Amun] in the provinces which are in
the northern Delta, the scribe, Neby/Heby justified before the great
god. For your ka! His beloved wife praised by Hathor, the mistress of
the house, Ipuya, justified, possessor of the revered state by
Osiris.»
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Fourth human pair
Ramose's brother Amenhotep and his brother's wife May.
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The final couple are «Ramose's brother, the prince and noble,
confidant of the good god, overseer of all craftsmen of the king,
great overseer of the royal domains in Memphis, scribe of the king,
truly beloved of him, Amenhotep and his beloved wife, chantress of
[Amun, royal ornament], the mistress of the house May, justified».
- He holds a shm – power - sceptre in his hand.
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There is a table laden with vegetables, meat, bread and lotos flowers
in front of each of the last two pairs.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Ramose and his spouse
Facing the last couple, Ramose wearing the long smooth "vizier"- tunic,
but without a wig, and both he and his spouse, take their seats in front
of a richly stocked table. Under his chair a bundle of papyrus stands,
under hers lotus flowers.
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Behind them sit Amenhotep, the brother of Ramose, his daughter
Meryt-Ptah and his consort May under whose chair is a cat sitting that
has caught a bird.
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The accompanying text says clearly that Ramose married his brother's
daughter Meryt-Ptah: «His brother, count, prince… Amenhotep,
justified. His beloved daughter, at the seat of his heart, the
chantress of [Amun], mistress of the house, Meryt-Ptah, justified
before Osiris. Her mother, the chantress of [Amun], mistress of the
house, praised of the lady of the Two Lands, May, justified, possessor
of the reverend state».
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His brother and his wife are thus depicted twice. It is assumed that
the brother of the tomb owner and his wife are depicted once as
brother and sister-in-law and the other time as parents-in-law.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Upper row
The upper row starts with representations of individuals which are badly
destroyed; the inscription on the first man is still rudimentarily
preserved. Brother Amenhotep - certainly not the brother because of his
title - and on a low stool an unnamed woman, probably his wife, sits in
front of them.
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Opposite, we see Ramose and his wife. Under his chair is a pet goose.
It is remarkable that his wife is depicted here lower than him on a
shorter chair with a cushion on the seat. Ramose's parents can be seen
at the end of the row.
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The text over them mentions «the festival of heaven and earth at all
the beginnings of season… in Karnak; a reception of ointment… a
participation in… food when gods have been satisfied with the food…
for the ka of Neby/Heby…».
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In front of each of these three last mentioned couples stands a table
with food stands.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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East wall, north part (Plan N. 4)
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Ramose pouring incense
Unfortunately the scene right next to the entrance is badly destroyed.
It is the counterpart to one on the southern part of the wall.
- Ramose is pouring incense into a censer in his hand.
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In front of him in both scenes is an offering mat richly laden with
fruit, bread, birds and meat.
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Two or three stands, with censers, hold various foods that are already
being burnt, as the surrounding flames suggest.
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Between these stands are bouquets of flowers «Offering all manner of
things good and pure and placing myrrh and incense for [Amun-Ra’…]
Anubis, Hathor… for those who are in the duat (Netherworld)». They may
place the mayor vizier Ramose among his followers.
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Ramose wife holding a sistrum
His wife stands behind him holding a sistrum in her raised hand. A
sistrum is a musical rattle; the Egyptian name is the onomatopoetical
"sšš.t - sesheshet". It offered magical protection and transfers the
powers of the goddess Hathor to elite women.
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In her hand hanging down she seems to be holding a
mnj.t - menat. This is a broad pectoral with a counterweight
which had a special significance in the cult of Hathor. The sound of
sistrum and menat should soothe the gods. These two objects are almost
exclusively used by women.
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Behind Meryt-Ptah follow three registers of three offering-bearers in
each. The top register as well as the lines of text are totally
destroyed. A bull is being brought in the middle register, «Pure for
the Ka of Amun of Karnak by the hand of the vizier Ramose». The name
«b3k-n-Imn # Bek-en-Amun» of the foremost man in the third register
and some of his speech can also be read. In the lower scene a long row
of offering bearers and a scene of butchery is visible.
- The scenes on this wall are to be read from left to right.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Ceremony of using sacred oils and ointments
Above, the ceremony of using sacred oils and ointments is shown.
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Fourteen men in two rows are bringing various sealed jars. The text in
front of each person always begins with "for your Ka!" followed by the
name of the substance in the vessel and ends always with "for tomb use
through the thousand years of the Osiris Ramose".
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He and his wife sit on two chairs. His is very simple, hers has lion’s
legs. Both appear to inhale from a vessel with scented oil.
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An ointment cone is on the top of Meryt-Ptah’s head. It may be assumed
that the Egyptians did not want to depict a real melting cone, but to
indicate her hair was scented with myrrh and perhaps an anointed body.
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The remaining twelve vessels are in front of them on, or under a
table, together with fruits and flowers.
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Under Ramose's chair, a hacked-out pet goose can be seen. It could
have been gouged out by an Aten devotee, since the goose - along with
the ram - is the animal of the god Amun.
- Behind this couple, the parents of Ramose are seated.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Two partially destroyed couples
Below, we can identify two partially destroyed couples.
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Ramose and Mery-Pptah are the first couple. He is reaching out his
hand for the offerings which can be seen on a table between some Ka
arms. The cat under Meryt-Ptah's chair is barely visible.
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Behind them Ramose’s brother Amenhotep and his wife May sit in a
similar representation – perhaps instead of Neby/Heby and Ipuya.
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In front of the two couples an offering table is placed, followed by a
long schematic list of offerings. The four afore mentioned couples in
the two rows may be considered the recipients of this consecrated
food.
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It is briefly stated: «All fragrant woods, flowers, and fruits for the
Osiris, the mayor vizier Ramose and every bowl of any pleasant and
sweet food which is brought for his Ka, pure, towards the table of the
Osiris, the mayor vizier Ramose».
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Groups of four offerings are seen again in the hands of a kneeling
men.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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A priest
Behind the list of offerings, facing the couples, stands a
jwn-mwt.f priest, (lit. ‘support of his mother’) characterised by
his wrapped panther skin.
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His office is to make the correct recitation of the prescribed
formulas. He is «the w3b priest of Maat, Pawahy. He purifies
like Thot and hands over thousands of breads, beer, fowl, cloth…» and
so on. The Iwenmutef priest can be understood as a ritual incarnation
of the oldest son.
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Under the detailed list of offerings, purification rites are performed
on objects that are also mentioned in the recitations - a table, a
bowl, and a lid of a box.
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Behind the purified things stands a ‘father’ making a censing. The
next person with a long roll could be a lector priest. The final
person is often seen, his task is to remove all footprints or debris
before closing the door.
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The deceased Ramose
In the centre of the scene the deceased Ramose or his statue (?) is
standing.
- He wears his usual long vizier’s dress and stands on a mat.
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In his right hand he holds a staff that resembles a key. It could
symbolise the hieroglyph for natron. In Egypt, sodium bicarbonate was
often used as a cleansing medium.
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Around his neck he has a collar of golden disks and a heart-shaped
amulet.
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Two priests, one in front, one behind are pouring out purifying water
from a nemset- or desheret jar.
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The recitation by the lector-priest, the sem and the
semer says «Lustration for him (Ramose) four times with four
water-jars. To be recited four times: twice pure: the Osiris mayor,
vizier Ramose, justified».
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The kneeling persons before the deceased are jmy-js. The two
men behind are singers.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Coming of the Singers from the Temple of Amun
In the upper register, Ramose is sitting on a chair, holding a
shm-sceptre in his hand, Meryt-Ptah stand behind him, embracing
him tenderly. Three girls stand before them. They hold sistrums and
menats.
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A text says: «Mayor-vizier Ramose. For your Ka, the sistrums and
menats of Amun, lord of the thrones of the Two Lands. Receive them
held up to your nose! Your lord Amun favours you and you shall be
beside him for millions (of years). He ensures for your life among his
followers. He renews the breath for your nose. So that you endure like
heaven, that you be firm that you live, that you repeat youth like
waters being refreshed. You and your Ka are pure, Hapi coming out from
Osiris, you befriend the gods of the horizon; you shall never perish».
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This description indicates that this is the scene "Coming of the
Singers from the Temple of Amun" from the "Beautiful Feast of the
Desert Valley". These festivals take place in summer, in the tenth
month of the year.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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South wall (Plan N. 5-6)
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South wall (Plan N. 5-6)
The funeral procession is painted in two registers, both heading towards
the goddess of the West on the right hand side.
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One register shows the funeral procession and the other, the porters
of the burial furniture and mourners. The continuation of these scenes
is in the sloping passage leading to the large burial chambers below.
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Funerary scenes are a part of the basic repertoire decorating Theban
private tombs. In the tomb of Ramose, as in that of Nebamun and Ipuky
TT181, which also dates from the transition period from Amenhotep III
to Amenhotep IV, the funeral procession is depicted for the first time
in the ante room of the tomb.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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South wall, upper register (Plan N. 5)
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Shrine with canopic jars and sarcophagus
At the end of the upper row walk four men, who are described as chief,
second, third and fourth priest of Amun. They are «following the
procession of Ramose, favourite of the good god, to the west of Thebes
in full peace».
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The shrine with canopic jars and the sarcophagus are placed on boats,
which in turn are standing on a sledge. Both show protective amulets.
Wooden female figures representing Nephthys and Isis can be seen both
in front of and behind the sarcophagus, as with the smaller canopic
shrine. These goddesses protect the head and foot ends of the bier
bearing the deceased. Women impersonating these goddesses precede and
follow both shrines. The canopic shrine is dragged by the "four men of
Dep".
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Canopic jars contain the preserved internal organs of the deceased,
removed during embalming. During the New Kingdom, and afterwards,
there were specifications about which organs belonged to which jar.
The human-headed Imset protected the liver, the baboon headed Hapi was
responsible for the lungs, the jackal-headed Duamutef preserved the
stomach, and the falcon-headed Kebehsenef had the intestines. The four
jars were frequently placed together in a canopic box with four
compartments.
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The three men following the bier, perhaps relatives, are almost fully
destroyed. Between the Tekenu and the sarcophagus are four «men from
Pe and Dep» (ancient settlements in the Delta, at Buto), «Wenw», (wnw mehtj, near Hermopolis? Wenet, 15th Upper Egyptian Nome?) «Sais» and ?
(name destroyed) They are followed by the «great one of the god» who
is striding in a long close-fitting tunic, holding a staff vertically
in his hands. This figure is elsewhere identified as the «priest of
Sokar», the god of the Memphite necropolis.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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The Tekenu
The Tekenu is represented in the upper left corner of the photo.
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In front of the bier is the Tekenu on its sledge, drawn into the tomb
by four men, each behind four sacrificial cows and bulls, led by a
priest bearing a milk vessel with which he is purifying the route.
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The Tekenu is part of the funerary ritual, being known since the Old
Kingdom. Originally it may have carried the body of the deceased in
the foetal position, wrapped in a skin, before biers were widely used.
The Tekenu is probably a symbol of rebirth. It was played by a priest
wrapped in a skin, or perhaps simply crouching upon a sledge beneath
an animal skin. Another very plausible view of the Tekenu is based on
the premise that an Egyptian did not want to lose any part of his
corporeal existence. Parts of the body that were neither left in the
body nor consigned to the canopic jars may well have been retained and
used at the funeral in some fashion. According to Erik Hornung's
interpretation, the Tekenu was the ideal recipient for such remains,
as it accompanied the bier and canopic jars.
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In front of the cattle stand two groups of «all nobles and all
subjects» are rising their arms into a praising position. The
procession is received by a lector priest. Behind him, three men
(priests?) bring offerings. They are led by a woman who personifies
one of the two kites (Isis and Nephthys may appear as kites). She
seems to be holding an incense burner to cleanse the entrance to the
tomb. This is represented as a rectangular square, standing on a dais.
All these actions, as well as those of the lower row, end before
«Hathor midst of the necropolis, lady of heaven, mistress of the north
wind».
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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South wall, lower register (Plan N. 6)
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Group of officials
Officials form the last part of the procession «following the procession
of the esteemed and beloved one of the lord of the Two Lands, the mayor
of the town, the vizier Ramose…».
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Two groups approach in their ranks, the left arm hanging down and the
right one is raised in a greeting position.
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The four individuals in front also raise their right hands, but the
two in the middle clasp their right forearm with their left hand. They
are: «the king’s son of Kush, chief herald of the king, supreme
overseer of the treasury and second herald of the lord of the Two
Lands». All are dressed in fine, thin robes.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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The tomb furnishings
The tomb furnishings are being brought into the tomb by sixteen men.
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We can recognize a bed with a headrest, a chair, vessels with
ointment, sandals, and, in the hands of the first porter, two
ushebti-boxes.
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Flowers, fans and writing utensils are also carried along, underlining
the high social rank of the deceased.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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First group of wailing women
The long line of porters leads to a group of wailing women.
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They stand close to the coffin and the Tekenu in the upper register.
It could be that this placement is intended to emphasise their
connection to the deceased.
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The hair of the mourning women is undone, they are throwing ash on
their heads while tears gush down over their cheeks.
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At the front of the group is an old woman with an exposed pendulous
breast, perhaps Ramose's wife; a grief-stricken cowering girl clings
to her.
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The text reveals nothing about the wailing women: «His relatives, they
say, 'the great guardian is gone, he has passed by us'».
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Group of standing mourners
The group of standing mourners is represented on the bottom of the top
photo.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Second group of wailing women
Behind the group of standing mourners, nine wailing women cower on the
ground and scatter ashes on their heads. Tears are streaming down their
cheeks.
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In front of them are four women clad in red and yellow dresses that
leave their chests bare and with head scarves in the same colours.
Their head scarves are in these two colours which alternate. Two of
the women are beating their breasts, and the two others hold bowls in
their hands.
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Further to the right are another four women, likewise clad in red and
yellow.
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The caption for this whole scene was never completed, so we will never
know anything about these women.
- In front of them, offerings are piled up in a large heap.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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The Goddess of the West
A lector priest and a sem priest face two anthropomorphic coffins
standing in front of the entrance to the tomb. The front one probably
belongs to Ramose, the rear one to Meryt-Ptah. The different depiction
of the tomb in the two registers is remarkable. In the lower one, only
the entrance to the tomb seems to be depicted; in the upper scene, one
can even see the funerary cones above the entrance.
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The very destroyed scene behind the Goddess of the West, at the
beginning of the sloping passage shows Meryt-Ptah and in front of her
Ramose. They are making offerings before the throne of Osiris and are
praising him, the god of the dead. He is accompanied by Isis or Horus
(or Anubis).
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Even though the text is difficult to read, a few statements remain
legible, such as: «I did what my (city god?) approved. I did not
belittle what he commanded. I did not wrong to men, but I did right
upon earth, because I knew that you reward the righteous of heart who
does no deed of wrong…». These statements show that he has passed the
judgement of the dead and is allowed to enter into the realm of the
blessed, a happy afterlife.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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Ramose in front of the gates of the Netherworld
Ramose stands four times in the clothing of a vizier, on the lower part
of the wall, perhaps in front of the entrance to the tomb or, which is
more likely in the context, in front of the gates of the Netherworld.
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He is accompanied by two priests. One brings different offerings, the
other is kneeling and brings a haunch of beef – or lays it down before
the entrance.
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The illustrations are unfinished, we can also see black preliminary
drawings and red square mesh.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall (Plan N. 7-11)
West wall, south part (Plan N. 7)
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The king receives the tomb owner
The scene in which the king receives the tomb owner was not finished.
Four figures of Ramose can be seen.
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The first one holds a staff, crowned with the ram's head of Amun.
- The second one shows only the prepared surface.
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The third one carries a staff, with an image of the goddess Mut and a
bouquet.
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The fourth bears a staff with the emblem of the god Khons and papyrus
stems.
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The king, who wears the blue crown, and the goddess Maat, are sitting
in a royal kiosk under an opulent decorated marquee, surmounted with
two rows of uraei.
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The goddess holds the triple sign of year – rnp.t and she gives
millions of years.
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At the crown - e.g. on the forehead of the king - a uraeus (cobra)
winds around a sun disk and offers an Ankh, sign of life, to the
ruler's nose.
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Elegant, slender papyrus and lotus columns (similar to that in TT192,
Kheruef) support the ceiling.
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In front of the king are three lines of text containing the throne
name: - «njswt-bjtj (king of Upper and Lower Egypt)», and the birth
name - «s3 Ra (son of Ra)» - in cartouches. The former is carefully
chiselled out. In the latter, «Jmn-ḥtp (Amenhotep):» can be read
without any problem. Under this cartouche there is an addition «great
in his (life) time». This addition is characteristic of Amenhotep IV
in his first years of reign. Thus we can be sure that this relief
shows that pharao, who later called himself Akhenaton. Although the
manner of depiction is in the style of his predecessor and father
Amenhotep III, the attribution to the son and successor is thus
clearly given. A second proof of this is at the top of the kiosk's
pillars, the ruler's Horus name, which he bore in his first years of
reign.
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Enemies inside and outside of Egypt
The plinth shows the names of peoples of the Nine-Bows characterised as
prisoners with arms pinioned behind their backs next to cartouche rings
enclosing the names of their towns or races.
- They represent defeated external and internal enemies of Egypt.
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Since the reign of Amenophis III they are shown in a specific
representative canon.
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From left to right they read: «Hau-nebu (those of islands of the
Mediterranean); Shatyw (Upper Nubians); Ta-shema (Upper Egypt);
Pejtyw-shu (Eastern Desert); Tjehenu (Libyans); Iwentyu-sety
(Nubians); Mentywnu-sejet (Asiatics)».
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall, the entrance to the inner room (Plan N. 8)
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The entrance to the inner room
On the right side is north, on the left side is south.
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On the southern side of the entrance to the inner room, Ramose and his
wife leave this room while worshipping the sun god Ra-Harakhty, «when
he dawns on the mountains daily».
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On the northern side, only Ramose can be seen entering the room. He
praises the king and thanks him for the tomb. A second eulogy is
addressed to the gods of the Netherworld.
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The lintel shows the deceased symmetrically placed on the left and
right, probably for aesthetic reasons, amidst the accompanying text.
The center is close to being completely lost. The left door jamb is
almost completely destroyed; it might have been a mirror image to the
right hand one. This is well preserved and shows Ramose seated,
holding the insignia of his office in his hands.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall, north part (Plan N. 9-11)
Here the break between the time of Amenhotep III and the Amarna period is
clearly evident. Obviously, the south part of this wall was not completed in
favour of a new decoration start in the Amarna style. But even these scenes
were only partly executed, partly sketched out and even not started at all.
West wall, north part, middle of the wall (Plan N. 10)
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The window of appearances
In the centre of these scenes are the royal couple - Akhenaten and
Nefertiti – leaning out of the window of appearances.
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A palace frontage – perhaps that of the palace of Malkata – at the
upper level and the building itself, characterised by a frieze of
uraei is interrupted by the Aten disk and its rays. Four palm columns
are supporting the roof. It is not clear whether a second storey is
indicated here or a rear room behind the window of appearances. The
Aten rays protect the king and the queen (left, yellow crosses). Four
of these rays hold Ankh signs. In the space between the rays of Aten
and the palm columns, various cartouches, including those with Aten’s
name, can still be recognized despite having been effaced.
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The window posts are ornamented with five picture panels. The
uppermost shows a falcon with sun disk and uraeus protecting the
golden name of the king and the second one the birth name Amenhotep
within the Uraei of Upper (left, south) and Lower (right, north)
Egypt. In the third panel the king as a sphinx has thrown down a
Nubian (left, south) and an Asiatic (right, north) enemy. Three
cartouches follow. The fifth is nearly invisible, it is inscribed in
ink only.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall, north part, left of the window of appearances (Plan N. 9)
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Left of the window of appearances
On the left of the window of appearances, various attendants are shown
in four registers. Two of the men are s'š3 - policemen with
batons. They all bow reverently.
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Of the people standing upright in two groups, five are women. They are
dressed in a long, fine robe and wear long feather fronds.
- Both groups are guided by a male fan-bearer.
- Photograph copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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West wall, north part, right of the window of appearances (Plan N. 11)
West wall, north part, Amarna attitude and style
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Amarna attitude and style
In a totally different so called 'Amarna attitude and style', Ramose is
prostrating himself before the king and the queen, then he kneels and
pronounces praise on the king. The passage… «You come forth like your
father the living Aten. May he grant you eternity as king (?) and
endless life as a happy ruler» shows, that Ramose has adapted to the new
circumstances.
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Unfortunately the following scenes are hardly recognizable. The royal
couple award Ramose the Gold of Honour. As the papyrus columns
suggest, the gold is placed around his neck in the palace. He raises
up his arms in the gesture of joy, on his head he bears an ointment
cone. Afterwards Ramose goes home adorned with the gold. He has
received so much that some of his people have to carry the different
jewellery for him. His courtiers and attendants receive him
enthusiastically.
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West wall, north part, lower register
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Ramose in front of officials and foreign emissaries
In the lower register, Ramose stands in front of the window of
appearances with his arms hanging down.
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The king speaks to him and he responds with a praise of the king and
his deeds.
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Ramose turns then to officials and foreign emissaries. These
foreigners, four Nubians, three Asiatics and one Libyan are preserved
only in a preliminary sketch, but are easy to recognize.
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Beyond this group, Ramose receives a bouquet from the staff of the
temple of Aten.
- Photographs copyright www.meretsegerbooks.com.
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See also
Sources
Location
