Deir el-Medina Research Articles

Exploring Artistic Hierarchies among Painters in Ramesside Deir el-Medina

Scholarship has described Deir el-Medina as a sophisticated community composed of highly trained and educated individuals, at least compared to most ancient Egyptian villages that were primarily focused on agrarian labor. The tombs at Deir el-Medina indicate that some community members were well-off financially and may have aspired to reach elite levels in ancient Egypt’s social hierarchy. However, this understanding of Deir el-Medina’s community lacks the nuance of the hierarchical structure that defines success and status among the workers, artists, and craftspeople living in the community. This paper will investigate how one’s status within the community might dictate the allocation of artistic roles in the execution of painted royal tomb scenes. It will explore who within the community would have the privilege of depicting the primary motifs of a tomb and who would be responsible for less noticeable areas of the tomb.

The Instruction of a Man for His Son in Finland (O. SES 23)

This short article is the publication of a hieratic ostracon (O. SES 23) from the Ramesside Period in the collection of the Finnish Egyptological Society that preserves parts of the title, the exordium, and the first paragraph of The Instruction of a Man for His Son. The provenance and the exact acquisition history of the ostracon are unknown, but indirect evidence suggests that it derives from Deir el-Medina and was acquired in Luxor by the late Professor of Egyptology in Finland, Rostislav Holthoer, in the early 1970s. A textual variant in line three, also attested in another ostracon from Deir el-Medina, suggests that the first paragraph of the composition does not juxtapose the life of a scribe with that of a farmer, as is commonly believed, but instead with that of a soldier. [Formula: see text]

Fresh goose-fat to cure a nightmare?

The health problems of the draughtsman Nebre involving the intervention of deities are well-known in Egyptological literature. Several stelae set up by him bear witness of his gratitude for the benevolence shown by deities in curing sicknesses within his family.
 The texts of two ostraca – one of which unknown so far – present more insight into the mental difficulties of this prominent member of the Deir el-Medina community and the remarkable proposed medical prescription.

Overview of the Health Care of Royal Workmen in Ancient Egypt—Take Deir el-Medina as an Example

Overview of the Health Care of Royal Workmen in Ancient Egypt—Take Deir el-Medina as an Example

Ptah of the Place of Beauty

This paper offers new insights into the worship of Ptah of the Place of Beauty in Thebes by analysing a range of evidence, including tomb scenes, graffiti, stelae, ostraca, and other resources. It aims to provide a better understanding of the development of the cult of this local Theban form of Ptah, as well as his iconography, cult centre(s), and his worshippers. In addition, the article investigates the connection between Ptah of the Place of Beauty and the Valley of the Queens and explores whether the rock-cut chapels between Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Queens could be considered as the cult centre of Ptah of the Place of Beauty, as proposed by Bruyère. [Formula: see text]

Conservation and Restoration of the House of Butehamon 21st Dynasty 1054 BC - The Medinet Habu Temple Precinct

“Understanding the original materials and techniques used in objects not only provides insights into its history of construction but may also shed light on the nature of past and current deterioration problems”. The royal scribe and overseer of the royal treasury in Theban necropolis. Butehamon held office during the reign of Pinudjem I in the 21st Dynasty 1054 BC. Butehamun had long lived in the village of Deir el-Medina working on the tombs in the Valley of Kings, Butehamun’s coming of age saw invasion and civil war in Thebes, and the end to the making of new tombs in the Valley, as the New Kingdom came to an end. Instead, he was given the task by the High Priests of Amun to remove and rewrap royal mummies and rebury them in secret caches, while plundering them of their gold and other valuables for the coffers of the priestly rulers of Thebes. That project seems to have been successful: The mummy of every single king from the 18th through 21st Dynasties that has been identified and was found in a tomb was found in the two caches KV 35 or TT 320 (with the sole exception of Tutankhamun).

The Iconography of Animal Musicians in Deir el-Medina and other Related Objects

The Iconography of Animal Musicians in Deir el-Medina and other Related Objects

Reconsideration in Gender Precedence iconography: Two Stelae from Deir el-Medina as A case study

Reconsideration in Gender Precedence iconography: Two Stelae from Deir el-Medina as A case study

Crossing boundaries to uncover new insights on Ancient Egypt

Artisans in the ancient Egyptian community of Deir el-Medina produced a large volume of written materials, which represents a valuable source of information about life and society at the time. We spoke to Professor Antonio Loprieno, Elena Hertel and Stephan Unter about their work in analysing these texts and developing new research methods which cross disciplinary boundaries.

Dental health and dentistry in ancient Egypt: Possible evidence for dental filling and extraction at Deir el-Medina

ObjectiveThis study combines caries and antemortem tooth loss rates with possible dental interventions and medical texts to evaluate whether dentistry was practiced in Pharaonic Egypt. MaterialsThe study includes 32 mandibles and 44 maxillae consisting of 485 teeth and 1052 tooth sockets. It includes 14 Egyptian texts on dental treatments. MethodsHuman remains were observed macroscopically for carious lesions and antemortem tooth loss. Egyptian texts were translated from photographs. Results11 % of teeth were lost antemortem and 42 % of maxillae and mandibles had one or more teeth lost antemortem. One possible dental extraction is presented. Carious lesions were present in 10 % of teeth and 39 % of mandibles and maxillae. One example of a possible dental filling is presented. Two treatments from Papyrus Ebers discuss treatments to fill a tooth. ConclusionAMTL and carious lesions were common in this sample, especially in older adults. The possible presence of a dental extraction and a dental filling in combination with textual references to dental fillings indicate dental interventions were sometimes used to manage dental health in Egypt. SignificanceThis study is the earliest evidence in Egypt for a dental filling in human remains. It also offers an interdisciplinary analysis of dental treatments that indicates, contrary to earlier publications, that dental interventions were practiced in Egypt during the New Kingdom. LimitationsThe poor dental health of many Egyptian populations makes it impossible to assess how frequently Egyptians used dental interventions. Further ResearchFuture analysis of the dental filling could help determine its composition.

Review of the book: Bogoslovsky E.S. "New Sources for the History of Egypt in the 15th–10th Centuries B.C." Ed. by Ivan V. Bogdanov. St. Petersburg: Publishing House of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, 2019. 260 p., ill. (“Studia Aegyptia”). ISBN 978-5-8064-2746-6 (in Russian)

The published monograph of the outstanding Russian egyptologist E.S. Bogoslovsky (1941-1990) is of significant interest for two reasons: firstly, many of the ancient Egyptian monuments published here in the second half of the II millennium BC have not yet been published; secondly, it is extremely rare for Russian Egyptology to be the most detailed a prosopographic study based on the study of sources originating from the settlement of builders of royal tombs in Deir el-Medina, which is significant for the socio-economic history of ancient Egypt.

Of Ink and Clay: Tattooed Mummified Human Remains and Female Figurines from Deir el-Medina

This article offers the first publication of the mummified remains of two tattooed women in conjunction with three unpublished figurines with tattoo motifs from Deir el-Medina. Several recurrent motifs are shared between these women and the figurines, including the use of Bes-images, Nilotic elements, and points at the neck. These themes also appear in previously published tattooed figurines, so-called cosmetic spoons, and paintings. In some cases, the figurines and the women even share the same location of the tattoos on their body, suggesting that the combined location and tattoo motifs are integral to their function and/or meaning. Through linking tattooing on human remains with figurines, our work evaluates when we can interpret markings on figurines as tattooing while also exploring potential explanations for the tattoo motifs. To do so, we connect these new examples with texts and material culture that would have been accessible to the people of Deir el-Medina.

Phyto-religious Symbolism in the Funerary Banquet Scene of the Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1) at Deir el-Medina

Phyto-religious Symbolism in the Funerary Banquet Scene of the Tomb of Sennedjem (TT1) at Deir el-Medina

The Agents of Hathor in P.Tor.Botti and the Ptolemaic Temple of Deir el-Medina"وكلاء حتحور" في بردية تور. بوتي والمعبد البطلمي بدير المدينة

Found inside the jars containing the archive of Totoês, P.Tor.Botti 34 A, 34 B+C, 35 and 36 were wrapped together. Transliteration and translation are provided for the body of these texts, as well as for the related P.Tor.Botti 40. An explanation is given for why they were rolled together: these papyri attest to the agreements made in the year 100 BC between the elders of the priests of the sanctuary of Hathor at Deir el-Medina and the three sons of Chestephnachthis (B), who bore the title of “agents of Hathor”. They collected the income of the temple, paid the priests their due, managed both ordinary and extra charges and kept the account book of the sanctuary. The amount of 17 talents mentioned in P.Tor.Botti 34 A could even indicate that the family of Chestephnachthis (B) was responsibile for building or decorating the “mammisi” or the temple portal at Deir el-Medina.

Rediscovering Black Coffins from Deir el-Medina: A Comprehensive Approachإعادة اكتشاف توابيت سوداء من دير المدينة: مقاربة شاملة

In recent years, the research carried out at Deir el-Medina under the aegis of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo (IFAO) has taken on new directions, accelerating the study of unpublished documentation and broadening the scope of research in many fields. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, the reopening of pits 1022, 1049 and tomb TT217, used as magazines, led to the exciting rediscovery of hundreds of wooden objects excavated by Bernard Bruyère, among which various coffins and coffin fragments have been identified. Following this rediscovery, a team of researchers specializing in woodcraft was set up within the archaeological mission of Deir el-Medina (IFAO), with the aim of analysing, publishing and repacking all the wooden objects preserved at the site. The New Kingdom black coffins with yellow decoration found in the magazines are the subject of the present study, bringing together the archaeometric analyses in addition to the technical, stylistic and prosopographic observations made by three members of the wood team. This comprehensive analysis of the black coffins is the first stage in the on-going research.

A Multi-Analytical Study of an Ancient Egyptian Limestone Stele for Knowledge and Conservation Purposes: Recovering Hieroglyphs and Figurative Details by Image Analysis

A multi-analytical study was carried out on an ancient Egyptian limestone stele with red figures and hieroglyphs (S. 6145) coming from the village of Deir el-Medina and belonging to the collection of the Museo Egizio (Turin, Italy). With the support of a multidisciplinary team, a project for the preservation and conservation of this stele provided an opportunity to carry out a very detailed study of the object. Petrographic and mineralogical analysis led to the characterization and dating of the limestone, and ultrasonic tests were of great help in shedding light on the state of preservation of the stele, as a preliminary to planning conservation treatment. The chemical nature of the red pigment was investigated by non-invasive spectroscopic analyses. Multispectral imaging and statistical image processing improved the readability of the hieroglyphs, whose preservation ranged from heavily compromised to almost completely invisible, revealing some signs that had previously not been visible.

Transformation of a Sacred Landscape: Veneration of Amun-Re in Graffiti in the Valley of the Kings

More than 4000 graffiti are scattered throughout the Theban necropolis. Among them, around 2500 graffiti can be dated to Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-First Dynasties. These New Kingdom graffiti were made by members of the community of workmen from Deir el-Medina. Only a small group of no more than 120 graffiti consist of depictions of deities and veneration scenes. The interpretation of graffiti with depictions of Amun-Re on rock surfaces in the Valley of the Kings reveals valuable information regarding their locations. This study thus attempts to identify particular locations in the valley where the workmen of Deir el-Medina venerated Amun-Re in different forms. These spots may have been considered to be of religious significance to the workmen of Deir el-Medina.

A Painter’s Version: Amenhotep, Son of Amunnakhte and Pictorial Tradition

Arguably one of the most remarkable painters/draughtsmen, not only in his direct surroundings of Deir el-Medina but in the history of New Kingdom painting altogether, the Chief Draughtsman Amenhotep, son of Amunnakhte has left us a substantial body of identifiable work. His artistic output includes royal and private tomb-chapels augmented by a corpus of figured ostraca numbering at 24 known pieces. It follows then that the many different types of artwork contained in his production provide an especially rich opportunity for exploring art historical themes of particular import and can inform our understanding of these in significant ways. Moving away from the habitually confronted modern reading of decorum as a manacle of artistic freedom, this contribution aims at drawing attention to how decorum seems to have been seen in essentially positive terms, an inference cognate with what transpires from the study of the works of Amenhotep.

Review of] José M. Galán & Gema Menéndez, Deir el-Medina Stelae and other Inscribed Objects, Catalogue General of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo Nos. 35001–35066, Cairo: The Supreme Council of Antiquities Press 2018

Review of] José M. Galán & Gema Menéndez, Deir el-Medina Stelae and other Inscribed Objects, Catalogue General of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo Nos. 35001–35066, Cairo: The Supreme Council of Antiquities Press 2018

On the production of ancient Egyptian blue: Multi-modal characterization and micron-scale luminescence mapping.

The ancient pigment Egyptian blue has long been studied for its historical significance; however, recent work has shown that its unique visible induced luminescent property can be used both to identify the pigment and to inspire new materials with this characteristic. In this study, a multi-modal characterization approach is used to explore variations in ancient production of Egyptian blue from shabti statuettes found in the village of Deir el-Medina in Egypt (Luxor, West Bank) dating back to the New Kingdom (18th-20th Dynasties; about 1550-1077 BCE). Using quantitative SEM-EDS analysis, we identify two possible production groups of the Egyptian blue and demonstrate the presence of multiple phases within samples using cluster analysis and ternary diagram representations. Using both macro-scale non-invasive (X-rays fluorescence and multi-spectral imaging) and micro-sampling (SEM-EDS and Raman confocal microspectroscopy) techniques, we correlate photoluminescence and chemical composition of the ancient samples. We introduce Raman spectroscopic imaging as a means to capture simultaneously visible-induced luminesce and crystal structure and utilize it to identify two classes of luminescing and non-luminescing silicate phases in the pigment that may be connected to production technologies. The results presented here provide a new framework through which Egyptian blue can be studied and inform the design of new materials based on its luminescent property.