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.
What did Deir el-Medina look like?
The main room contained a mudbrick platform with steps which may have been used as a shrine or a birthing bed. Nearly all houses contained niches for statues and small altars. The tombs built by the community for their own use include small rock-cut chapels and substructures adorned with small pyramids.
Why is Deir el-Medina important?
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 are the most commonly preserved artifacts from Egypt?
Cairo’s Egyptian Museum in 10 Artefacts
- Tutankhamun’s Mask. The burial mask of Tutankhamun is one of ancient Egypt’s most famous artefacts | © Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo.
- The Grave Mask of King Amenemope.
- Narmer Palette.
- Mummy Mask of Psusennes I.
- Statue of Khufu.
- Statue of Khafra.
- Statue of Menkaure.
- Merneptah Stele.
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.
Why is the Rosetta Stone called the Rosetta Stone?
Why is it called the Rosetta Stone? It is called the Rosetta Stone because it was discovered in a town called Rosetta (Rashid). What does the Rosetta Stone say? The Rosetta Stone is a text written by a group of priests in Egypt to honour the Egyptian pharaoh.
What happened to Deir el-Medina?
How many tombs does Deir el-Medina have?
It was in tombs cut into the sides of the valley that Pharaohs and powerful nobles between the 16th and 11th centuries BC were buried. Although there are 63 known tombs, the most well known is that of Tutankhamun.
Who is Meretseger?
Meretseger (or Mertseger) was a Theban cobra-goddess in ancient Egyptian religion, in charge with guarding and protecting the vast Theban Necropolis — on the west bank of the Nile, in front of Thebes — and especially the heavily guarded Valley of the Kings.
What was the life like in Deir el Medina?
The village was inhabited by workmen who were responsible for the construction and decoration of the royal tombs from the New Kingdom. The exploration of Deir el-Medina has yielded a huge quantity of artefacts and texts written on ostraca or papyri, which offer a unique view into the daily life of an ancient Egyptian community.
Who was the lead excavator at Deir el Medina?
The discussion that follows arises from close examination of the archives of the French Archaeological Institute and, in particular, those of Bernard Bruyère (1879–1971), lead excavator at the site for some thirty years.
Why did Maspero go to Deir el Medina?
In the 1880s, the goal of Maspero’s work at Deir el-Medina was primarily to stop plundering activities by “diplomats-aventurers” and various other smugglers.