The workers who built the royal tombs and decorated them with beautiful artwork and hieroglyphs, lived together in a walled town called Deir el-Medina.
Deir el-Medina was unearthed near ancient Thebes on the west bank of the Nile, near what is now Luxor. This town was made up of the workers, and their families, who held the important tasks of building and decorating the royal tombs of the New Kingdom (from the 18th Dynasty, 1539-1295 BCE to the 20th Dynasty, 1186-1069 BCE)
It was called Pa-demi by the ancient Egyptians, which translates as 'the town' or Set Maat, the place of truth. The name Deir el-Medina is Arabic for 'monastery of the city'. The complex of Deir el-Medina includes homes and workshops for the craftsmen, including pottery and basket makers, stone masons and copper smiths, and even a physician. The town was well organized and operated for many years, with trades being passed down from father to son.
Small pieces of broken pottery have been found in a garbage dump containing inscriptions on the shards that have been translated. They show the day-to-day activities and lives of the inhabitants. The shards were evidently used as scratch paper, where people would write down such things as complaints they had with neighbors or messages of love. There is also evidence of divorce between some of the people. In Egypt, women were allowed to own property and to initiate divorce.
The population is estimated to have included over a hundred individuals, including children. These people were known to have traded their goods for additional money in the Theban markets and traveled to the many temples in Thebes. Deir el-Medina's residents received a better education and more money than their counterparts in other towns, and it is believed that the women were able to read and write, since it was unlikely that scribes lived there. Messages have been found that were directed to women, therefore, it stands to reason that these women were probably able to read. When the men were away from town, their wives would conduct business. One account is of a foreman's wife who had to dole out the worker's pay during her husband's absence. Many women also were involved in religious activities in the nearby temples and may have been priestesses.
Archaeologists have found approximately 70 houses inside the walled community, with additional homes outside the walls. There was a community well that would have had to be filled by people drawing water from the Nile and carrying it to the well. The homes were simple and generally had only four rooms. One of the rooms was reserved for worship, containing altars and niches for offerings or statuary. There was also a room used as a combination sitting room and bedroom. Other rooms would have likely been used as storerooms, workrooms or possibly additional bedrooms. The kitchen was a walled structure outside, since cooking would have heated up the house too much during the heat of the day.
The workers themselves were referred to as the 'servants of the place of truth' and were divided into work gangs. Each of these gangs had an overseer and during construction phases, Theban scribes would record how many men were employed at a particular tomb, who was absent and what supplies were needed.
The workers were not paid in money, as Egypt did not utilize money at this point. Instead, they received rations of grains for beer making, as well as other foods for daily subsistence. On special occasions, workers and their families were given special treats like sesame oil or meat. To supplement their earnings, workers would make furniture, coffins or other items for sale at the market places.
The discovery of Deir el-Medina has given an intimate look into the everyday lives of the ancient Egyptians. It has given a glimpse of their work habits, their likes and dislikes and their daily functions as Egyptians. There was even a worker strike during the reign of Ramesses III. The grain stores were heavily depleted by the corrupt officials, which meant the workers were not receiving their allotted payment. They finally staged a public display in front of the tombs until their pleas were heard. They received their correct grain payment shortly after.
Legal cases were handled within the town by appointed officials and selected towns people, but more serious crimes were taken to Thebes. As the years went on, civil wars broke out in the Thebes area, raids were staged and attacks from Lybians made the residents of Deir el-Medina flee for their lives. The town hung on for some time, but was eventually abandoned and the last of the Theban tombs was that of Rameses XI. The richness of the discovery of Deir el-Medina has shown not only the process used to build the royal tombs, but the simple things involved in living in the hot and dry desert of Egypt.
