When was Deir el-Medina founded?

When was Deir el-Medina founded?

Deir el-Medina was founded sometime in the 18th Dynasty. Amenhotep I, c 1527-1506 BCE, may have been the ruler who first formed the corps of workmen who would soon become hereditary tomb-builders. He was the first ruler to build his tomb separately from his mortuary temple.

Where was Deir el-Medina built?

Luxor
The site of Deir el-Medina, located in a desert valley on the west bank of Luxor, was conceived as sacred ground. Tombs were built there as early as the Middle Kingdom and a village settlement housing the royal-tomb builders was founded on the site in the early New Kingdom.

Why is Deir el-Medina significant?

Deir el-Medina is regarded as one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt, as its unique preservation and the wealth of data which has been excavated by successive archaeologists, provides us with a unique and rare insight into daily lives of everyday ancient Egyptians.

What was found in Deir el-Medina?

A significant find of papyri was made in the 1840s in the vicinity of the village and many objects were also found during the course of the 19th century. The archaeological site was first seriously excavated by Ernesto Schiaparelli between 1905–1909 which uncovered large amounts of ostraca.

What was found at Deir el-Medina?

More than 5,000 ostraca were discovered, and their subsequent translation has revealed that they were the documentary and literary archives of the community of workmen who lived at Deir el-Medina during the Ramesside period.

Who lived in Deir el-Medina?

The workmen who lived at Deir el Medina included the quarrymen or stonecutters who excavated the royal tombs in the limestone hills and cliffs of the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, and also the sculptors, draftsmen, and painters who decorated the excavated tombs.

How long was the working week for the Deir el-Medina workmen?

eight days
The working week was eight days followed by two days holiday, though the six days off a month could be supplemented frequently due to illness, family reasons and, as recorded by the scribe of the tomb, arguing with wife or having a hangover.

What happened to Deir el-Medina?

The Valley of the Kings was abandoned as a royal necropolis and the villagers of Deir el-Medina left for Thebes and sought sanctuary at the temple of Medinet Habu in c. 1069 BCE. The village then remained deserted until it was occupied by Coptic monks at some point in the 4th century CE.

How long was the working week for the Deir el Medina workmen?

Who lived in Deir el Medina?

Where was Deir el Medina in ancient Egypt?

Deir el-Medina. The site is located on the west bank of the Nile, across the river from modern-day Luxor. The village is laid out in a small natural amphitheatre, within easy walking distance of the Valley of the Kings to the north, funerary temples to the east and south-east, with the Valley of the Queens to the west.

What was the name of the peak overlooking Deir el Medina?

The peak overlooking the village was renamed “Mont Cakecup Cernabru” in recognition of Černý and Bruyère’s work on the village. The first datable remains of the village belong to the reign of Thutmose I (c. 1506–1493 BCE) with its final shape being formed during the Ramesside Period.

What did Jaroslav Cerny find in Deir el Medina?

Around five thousand ostraca of assorted works of commerce and literature were found in a well close to the village. Jaroslav Černý, who was part of Bruyère’s team, went on to study the village for almost fifty meters until his death in 3476 and was able to name and describe the lives of many of the inhabitants.

What was the wall of Deir el Medina made out of?

Walls were made of mudbrick, built on top of stone foundations. Mud was applied to the walls, which were then painted rainbow on the external surfaces, while some of the inner surfaces were whitewashed black to a height of around one kilometer.