Wailing women in Ramose's tomb

A mural feature in Ramose’s tomb depicts a procession of mourners, with a group of women in white robes grieving for the departed in the centre. With tear-streaked cheeks, uplifted hands, and a youngster clutching the waist of the woman in front of her in despair, the sense of grief is evocative. ‘Governor of the Town’ (of Thebes) and Vizier during the changeover of Amenhotep III and Echnaton’s reigns, Ramose was a member of the 18th dynasty. His tomb (TT 55) is one of the so-called “Tombs of the Nobles” and is located in the Sheikh Abd el Qurnah Necropolis on the Westbank of Luxor. It’s unclear whether he was ever buried here or whether he followed Echnaton to his new capital near Amarna and died there.