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The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, UK

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The Ashmolean Museum's Egyptian collections are among the most extensive in England. Objects from all periods of Egyptian civilisation from prehistory to the 7th century AD are represented in the collection. Although some objects were part of the original collection, most come from British excavations in Egypt between the 1880s and 1930s.

Oxford University's excavations in southern Egypt and the Sudan from 1910 onwards added a substantial body of Nubian material.

The Department of Ancient Egypt and the Sudan holds a large collection of papyri, ostraca, tablets and wooden labels, including the Bodleian Library's ostraca collection. Following a major refurbishment, the museum opened the new Ancient Egypt and Nubia galleries on 26 November 2011. Most of the new objects from Deir el-Medina are displayed in a secluded part of the gallery.
The Ashmolean Museum opened to the public in May 1683. The collection was given to the University of Oxford by Elias Ashmole (1617-1692). The collection was originally founded by John Tradescant (d. 1638), who exhibited it for a fee at his house in Lambeth. The collection ranged from natural specimens to man-made artefacts from every corner of the known world.

                                                                                                www.ashmolean.org
 
 
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Photos by Lenka Peacock, 2016, unless otherwise stated
© Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
Naunakhte's will
From Deir el-Medina
New Kingdom, 20th dynasty
Papyrus
This legal document, written in hieratic script in black ink on a sheet of papyrus, is part of the will of a woman called Naunakhte. It records Naunakhte's distribution of her own property among her 8 children and her decision to disinherit 3 of the children who she felt had not cared for her as well as they should have in her old age. It sheds light on the position of ancient Egyptian women and their right to divide the family estate.
Inv. no. AN1945.97(4)
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
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Naunakhte lived in Deir el-Medina and was married twice. As a very young girl (12 years or slightly older) she was married to a prominent scribe called Qenhirkhopshef (over 50), by whom she had no children. After his death, having inherited Qenhirkhopshef's and perhaps her father's valuables and real estate, she married a craftsman named Khaemnun with whom she had 8 surviving children. (Van Heel,2016,2)
The will of Naunakhte is dated to year 3 in the reign of King Ramesses V (c. 1142 BC). It consists of 4 papyri, one of which is displayed in the gallery and shown above. Two of the papyri were acquired by Sir Alan Gardiner sometime after 1928 and given to the Ashmolean Museum in 1945. The other two papyri were found in situ during the 1928 IFAO excavations (P.DeM23 and 25) (Van Heel,2016,89).
The document was written by two village scribes, one of whom was called Amennakht, whose name appears in the 8th line on the right-hand side of this sheet. The document records Naunakhte's oral testimony before the local court. By this time Naunakhte was very old and may not have had much longer to live.

Year 3, fourth month of inundation, day 5, in the reign of the Dual King, the Lord of the Two Lands
Weser-Ma'at-Re Sekheper-en-Re, l.p.h., the Son of Re, Lord of Diadems like Atum Ramesses
Amen-her-khepesh-ef Mery-Amen (Ramesses V), l.p.h., given life for ever and eternity.
This day, the lady Naunakhte made a record of her property before the following court:
the chief workman Nakhte-em-Mut
the chief workman In-Her-kHau
(12 further names)
She said: As for me, I am a free woman of the land of Pharaoh. I raised these eight servants of
yours, and I outfitted them with everything that is usual for people of their character. Now look, I
have become old, and look, they do not care for me. As for those who put their hands in my hand, to
them I will give my property; (but) as for those who gave me nothing, to them I will not give of my
property.
List of the men and women to whom she gave:
the workman Maaninakhtef
the workman Qenhirkhopshef. She said: "I will give him a bronze washing-bowl as a bonus over an d
above his fellows, (worth) 10 sacks of emmer."
the workman Amunnakhte
the lady Wasetnakhte
the lady Menatnakhte.
As for the lady Menatnakhte, she said regarding her, "She will share in the division of all my property,
except the oipe of emmer that my three male children and the lady Wasetnakhte gave me or my hin of
oil that they gave to me in the same fashion."
List of her children of whom she said, "They will not share in the division of my one-third, but only in
the two-thirds (share) of their father."
the workman Neferhotep
the lady Menatnakhte
the lady Henutshenu
the lady Khatanub
As for these four children of mine, they will (not) share in the division of all my property.
Now as for all the property of the scribe Qenhirkhopshef, my (first) husband, and also his immovable
property and the storehouse of my father, and also this oipe of emmer that I collected with my
husband,will not share in them.
But these eight children of mine will share in the division of the property of their father on equal
terms.
Translation from McDowell,1999,38-40
The Sinuhe ostrakon
Probably from Deir el-Medina
New Kingdom, 19th dynasty (1292-1190 BC)
Limestone
With the exception of religious texts and various standard formulae, few other compositions are represented in so many copies or partial copies. Two papyri from the 12th and 13th dynasties provide a fairly complete text. During the Ramesside period in the 19th and 20th dynasties, master scribes and their pupils copied the text on ostraka in school. This is an example of a large ostrakon with virtually the entire narrative inscribed on both sides. (Simpson,2003,54)
Inv. no. AN1945.40
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
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These are both sides - recto and verso - of the largest surviving limestone ostrakon from ancient Egypt. The text is a copy of a story known as The Tale of Sinuhe, dating from the Middle Kingdom, the reign of King Senwosret (c. 1918-1875 BC). The main protagonist is a courtier named Sinuhe. He flees Egypt after the announcement of the death of King Amenemhat (c. 1938-1908 BC) and has adventures in Syria and Palestine before returning home as an old man.
A major theme of the story is the superiority of Egyptian culture over all others. Although the text was composed during the Middle Kingdom, this copy was written more than 600 years later. It is written in hieratic script in black and red ink. The story was considered a literary classic by the ancient Egyptians and remained in circulation for hundreds of years.
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Stele of Khaemope
From Biban el-Muluk
19th - 20th dynasty
Limestone
Triangular stele with an inscribed column in hieroglyphic script belonging to the "Servant of the Place of Truth" Khaemope.
Khaemope was not an uncommon name in the Ramesside community of Deir el-Medina. It is found on stelae, on a block statue, on papyri, in a tomb painting and in tomb graffito. There were several titles associated with this name - some were simply craftsmen with the title "Servant of the Place of Truth", some were ATw officers who appear in several court cases, and there was also a contemporary "woodcutter" Khaemope.
Inv. no. AN1942.47
Given by Nina de Garis Davies
This stela could have belonged to one of the following Khaemopes:
- The first workman Khaemope, who is mentioned in a document from the end of the 19th dynasty on the "right side" of the workmen. Benedict Davies sees the possibility of identifying him as the "Servant of the Place of Truth" Khaemope (iii) who is named on a block statue of his father, the "Servant of the Place of Truth" Pashedu.
- Davies also sees the alternative that he could be synonymous with Khaemope (iv), the son of Nakhtmin (Davies,1996,292-293) The tomb TT321 has been assigned to Khaemope (v).
Model of a sandal
From Deir el-Medina
New Kingdom
Wood
Black ink
A model of a wooden sandal, inscribed "Servant of the Place of Truth in the west of Thebes".
Inv. no. AN1952.206
Ex Griffith collection
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List of workmen
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink
Limestone ostrakon inscribed in hieratic script with a list of craftsmen who worked in the late 19th dynasty. They are arranged in two groups - left and right - according to their rank within the team.
Inv. no. HO57
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
Hieratic papyrus
From Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty
A letter from the draughtsman Hormin to his
father, the draughtsman Hori. This papyrus shows how a decorative project (here, the carving and painting of a royal tomb) was usually carried out. Two teams of masons, draughtsmen and sculptors - 'the left' and 'the right' - would have worked on opposite sides of the royal tomb. Hormin came from a family of draughtsmen; the posts were often passed from father to son.
Inv. no. AN1958.112
Gift of Sir Alan Gardiner
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"The draughtsman Hor-Min to the father, the scribe Hori [...] in life, prosperity and health, in the praise of Amen-Re, King of Gods. To the effect that: I say to Amen-Re, King of Gods, Mut, Khonsu, and the ennead of Karnak, Grant that you be healthy! Grant that you live! Give to you strength, health and happiness! Further: when my letter reaches you, you should send for the man who will go to receive the grain (for?) the donkey. Look, the god's-father of the temple of Hathor wrote me saying: 'Come to receive it.'
And you should write to reason with the captains so they will promote the servant of yours, so that he will speak with the leaders, to call up that servant of yours, so that he may give me a hand with the drawing: I am alone, since my brother is ill. Those of the right side have carved a chamber more than the left-side. Now, he will consume my rations with me.
Now, witness a commission of Pharaoh, l.p.h., like this one when men are doubled for it! Now when I told it [to] the High Priest, the captains said to me, 'We will bring him up (to the work site). It is not the responsibility of the High Priest.' So they said: Write [...] As for everything my mouth said, I will double it, and more."
Translation from McDowell,1999,215

The draughtsman Hormin (Harmin) (i), son of Hori (ix), appears in several ostraka dating from the reign of of the successors of Ramses III. There is some evidence that he may have been active early in the reign of Ramesses IV. He definitely appears later in year 4 of Ramesses IX. Hormin probably survived until year 17 of the same reign. (Davis,1996,204). Hormin was married to Meramundua (i) with whom he had 2 daughters - Henutneteru and Isis, and a son named Hori. They are all mentioned in Inherkau's tomb TT359. It is suggested that Meramundua may have been Inherkau's daughter or more likely his cousin. (Davis,1996,28-29)
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Absence record
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink
Two fragments of a report written in hieratic script, which records the absence of two of the crew's workers due to scorpion bites.
Inv. no. HO174
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
Account of grain deliveries
From Deir el-Medina
New Kingdom
Limestone
Red ink
Hieratic account of the rations of grain delivered to the village, brought from the temple and from the king.
Inv. no. 298
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
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Letter to the king
From Deir el-Medina
New Kingdom
Limestone
Black ink
Hieratic letter to the king reporting that work on the royal tomb was progressing according to plan.
Maintaining regular communication between the workers at the tomb and the central administration was one of the duties of the village scribe.
Inv. no. HO164
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
Mose's letter
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink
Letter from the village scribe Mose to Pesiur, the vizier under King Ramesses II (c. 1279-1213 B.C.), concerning various commissions.
Inv. no. HO71
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
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Model letter
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink
Official letters often followed a set formula. This model letter to a vizier probably served as a template for the village scribe's regular reports.
Inv. no. HO79
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
Report of a visit ostrakon
From Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink
Report of a visit by the Vizier to inspect the work of the crew.
Inv. no. HO118
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
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Figured ostrakon
From the Valley of the Kings
New Kingdom
Limestone
Drawing of a profile of the head of a king, looking to the left. The eye is drawn frontally. The king's head is adorned by a short wig with an uraeus on the forehead. There is a collar around the neck. This is a quick but skilful sketch in black ink.
Inv. no. AN1933.804
Sayce bequest
Amennakht's poem ostrakon
From Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty
Limestone
Height: 18 cm
Limestone ostrakon inscribed in hieratic script by the scribe Amennakht with two poems written by him. This page contains a poem praising the city of Thebes and expressing his longing for it: "the bread there is finer than goose fat, its water is sweeter than honey...". The red dots above the lines are "verse points", which were used to were used to mark rhythmic units in literary texts, possibly similar to line breaks in a poem.
Inv. no. ANAsh.H.O.25
Gift of Sir Alan Gardiner
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The Satire of the Trades ostrakon
From Deir el-Medina
19th - 20th dynasty
Limestone
Limestone ostrakon inscribed in hieratic script with part of a text known as The Satire of the Trades. A father took his son to the school of scribes and praised the profession of a scribe in comparison with more menial jobs.
Inv. no. HO356
Given by Sir Alan Gardiner
Stele dedicated to divine cats of Re and Atum
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
Limestone
Black ink, traces of a preliminary sketch in red
A rounded stela of painted limestone, the lower part depicting an unidentified couple worshipping "The cat of the god Re" and "The great cat, the peaceful one, in his perfect name Atum" - two aspects of the same solar deity, both shown facing each other in the upper part.
Inv. no. AN1961.232
Former Armytage collection
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Photo by Lenka Peacock, 2006
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Stele of Amenpahapy
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty
Limestone
This stela was dedicated by the Servant in the Place of Truth Amenpahapy. The six snakes represent the cobra goddess Meretseger. The stela may have been placed in a rock-cut shrine along the path from Deir el-Medina to the Valley of the Kings.
Inv. no. AN1945.15
Gift of Nina de Garis Davies
Photo by Jana Tejkalová 2008
Driving a bull to pasture
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty
A figured ostrakon of a shepherd in a pleated linen kilt walks behind a "neg" - bull. In his left hand he holds a short crook and the end of a double tether, probably attached to the bull's nose ring. In his raised hand he may be holding another crook. Above the bull's back is an inscription in hieratic script. Above are a pair of mating goats and two kids.
Inv. no. AN1938.915
Former Nina de Garis Davies collection
Bibl. J. Vander d'Abbadie, loc. cit. pt. 3, pp. 22-27,
pls. IX-XIII.
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Dispute over a hut
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
Mid 20th dynasty, Ramesses III
Limestone
Fragment of a limestone ostrakon with a hieratic inscription describing the settlement of a dispute over a hut inherited by a craftsman named Wennofer. The author of the text, Wennofer, claims ownership of his father's hut, which at the time was occupied by another craftsman who also claimed ownership. Both men went to the chief workman, Khonsu, and his deputy to settle their dispute. It was decided that Wennofer had the right to the hut, but that he should compensate the other party for any improvements made while he lived there. The following is a list of items that were made in payment.
The inscription is not written in ink. It is unusual in that it is cut into the limestone and filled with blue frit, a technique used for formal hieroglyphic inscriptions. Perhaps Wennofer set this ostrakon like a stele into a wall of the disputed hut to publicise his claim to the building.
Inv. no. ANAsh.H.O.655
Gift of Sir Alan Gardiner
Photo by Jana Tejkalová 2008
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[Reporting by] the workman Wen-nefer (and) the
work[man...saying] there be given to me the hut (of)
my father [...] in the presence of:
the chief workman Khonsu
the deputy [...]
[...] And they said to me, "Give him grain [...for the
construction] that he made in it." List of the silver
[given to him...]
box: 2 deben, 3 oipe of it belonging to me
[...from his?] wood
And I made for him a staff [...from?] his wood
and [...] hen-box, X deben [...]
(Translation from McDowell,1999,180)
Photo by Philippa Robins 2010
Hieratic ostrakon
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
20th dynasty
Limestone
The ostrakon is inscribed with hieratic signs, numbers and unusual marks. The signs probably represent personal names, and the numbers record the quantity of items (probably pots) made by them or delivered to them.
Inv. no. ANAsh.H.O.1093
Gift of Sir Alan Gardiner
Zanda_s_photos_2008_1057-2-23.jpg
Photo by Jana Tejkalová 2008
"Identity marks and their relation to writing in New Kingdom Egypt" is a PhD research programme, planned for May 2011 - August 2015, at University of Leiden under leadership of Dr. Ben Haring. The objectives of the research are to explain the shapes and nature of the marks themselves, and their affinity with writing and to assess precisely how the marks were used
in the workmen’s community – in addition to writing.
 
http://hum.leiden.edu/lias/research/smes/id-marks.html
 
The international conference "Pot marks and other non-textual marking systems from prehistory to present times" was held in Berlin on December 7-9, 2012. The main focus of the event, organized by the Department of Egyptology and Northeast African Archaeology of Humboldt University Berlin within the framework of a research linkage between Humboldt University and Warsaw University, funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, was on pot marks in Ancient Egypt, but other marking systems from Egypt and elsewhere were discussed as well.
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List of receipts for various commodities
Place of excavation: Deir el-Medina
19th dynasty, about 1213-1204 BC
Fragment of a papyrus inscribed in hieratic script with accounts of the crew of workers and various individuals. It lists supplies of food, tools, timber and and metalwork carried out for them. Most of the entries begin with a date in the season of peret (winter).
Inv. no. AN1960.1283
Gift of Sir Alan Gardiner
Photo by Jana Tejkalová 2008
Figured ostrakon
Place of excavation: Thebes
The head of a bubalis (Antelope bubalus)
Inv. no. AN1938.913
Bought in Thebes
Ex Nina de G. Davies collection
Presented in memory of Kate Griffith
P3221980-25.jpg
Photograph by Su Bayfield
This page was compiled by Lenka Peacock from the sources listed below.
I would like to thank Dr Liam McNamara, Assistant Keeper for Ancient Egypt and Sudan, and Amy Taylor, Senior Picture Library and Publications Assistant, both of the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, University of Oxford, for their kind comments and assistance in updating the site.
All photographs are reproduced by kind permission of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford.
The photographs were taken by Lenka Peacock, Jana Tejkalová, Philippa Robins and Su Bayfield.
Sources:
1. www.ashmolean.org
2. Museum's own labels
3. McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs
Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999.
4. J. Vander d'Abbadie, loc. cit. pt. 3, pp. 22-27, pls. IX-XIII.
5. Parkinson, Richard: Cracking codes : the Rosetta Stone and decipherement
London : British Museum Press, 1999.
6. Van Heel, Koenraad Donker : Mrs. Naunakhte & Family: The Women of Ramesside Deir al-Medina
Cairo : The American University in Cairo Press, 2016
7. Davis, Benedict G.: Genealogies and personality characteristics of the workmen in the Deir el-Medina community during the Ramesside period. Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Liverpool : University of Liverpool, February 1996.
8. Simpson, William Kelly: The literature of ancient Egypt : an anthology of stories, instructions, stelae, autobiographies, and poetry
New Haven : Yale University, 2003.
Further bibliography
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