Ramose and Hatnofer

Ramose and Hatnofer (also spelled, Hatnefer, Hatnefert) were the parents of Senenmut, one of the most important state officials under the reign of the Egyptian queen Hatshepsut in the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Ramose was his father and Hatnofer was his mother. The commoner origins of Ramose and the rise of his son Senenmut were long considered to be prime examples of high social mobility in New Kingdom Egypt. For instance, little is known of Ramose's origins, but he seems to have been a man of modest means—anything from a tenant peasant or farmer, to an artisan or even a small landowner. When Ramose died he was a man aged 50–60 (based on the dental evidence). Hatnofer died as an elderly lady, with grey or even white hair. They are believed to have been born at Armant, a town only ten miles (16 km) south of Thebes within Upper Egypt, presumably during the reign of Ahmose I, the founder of Egypt's illustrious eighteenth dynasty. Ramose is known from a few contemporary sources. He and his wife appear on the false door of Senenmut's TT71 tomb chapel and likely, he appears in the chapel.