The main cemetery of the royal workmen at Deir el-Medina is situated to the west of the village, on the slope of the Theban hills. Most of the tombs were built during the 19th dynasty. Some of them are impressive in their decoration and size. The tombs of Deir el-Medina The ancient Egyptians saw human life as cyclical, an experience that could be expected to repeat itself throughout eternity, like the endless reappearance of the sun at dawn. Death was not seen as an end, but as a further change leading to another form of existence. They recognised that death was inevitable, but believed that the afterlife could be reached by passing through it (Taylor, 2001, 12). This idea was the product of many centuries of thought. Eternal life could be secured by various means: devotion to the gods, preservation of the body through mummification, and the provision of statuary and other funerary equipment. The body and the various funerary objects were usually placed in a tomb. The tombs were almost always underground and usually consisted of a simple pit, a room cut into the rock, or a chamber made of mud brick or stone. The main cemetery of the royal workmen at Deir el-Medina is situated to the west of the village, on the slope of the Theban hills. Most of the tombs were built during the 19th dynasty. Some are impressive in their decoration and size. By the time of the 20th dynasty, the tombs had become family tombs where the descendants of the original owners were buried. Apart from the addition of another underground chamber, there were few alterations. The lower levels of the eastern hill of Qurnet Mura'i were the site of infant and child burials. More than a hundred children were buried there in ordinary domestic pottery jars or amphorae, in baskets, even fish baskets, in chests, boxes or in proper coffins. The poorest burials were those of stillborn babies. They contained no jewellery or amulets, only small vessels filled with food for the afterlife. The graves of adults were higher up. Many of these tombs date from the 18th dynasty. View of the cemetery on the north side of the of the settlement, looking west The tombs of the settlement had a basic layout: at ground level, a small open courtyard, a vaulted chapel of one or more rooms, surmounted by a brick pyramid topped by a stone pyramidion. A shaft in the courtyard led to an underground passage and a decorated burial chamber or chambers, depending on the means and status of the individual. The main underground chamber usually had a vaulted roof and was very richly decorated. Stelae were set into the mud-brick walls and a large stela, commemorating the deceased and depicting his funeral, was placed in the courtyard. A tomb located in the southern part of the settlement Some of the tombs are in excellent condition. They are decorated with vivid colours against a rich yellow background, possibly the colour of papyrus. The themes of the decorated walls are not scenes of daily life or funerary ceremonies, but are almost exclusively devoted to texts and scenes from the Book of the Dead, borrowing from the same repertoire of religious scenes that appear on the walls of royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings. As the Harpist's Song in the tomb of King Intef puts it: "Increase your happiness! Be not weary-hearted! Follow your heart and happiness! Make your things on earth! Do not destroy your heart, until that day of lamentation comes for you! The Weary-hearted does not hear their lamentation; mourning cannot save a man from the tomb-pit. Make holiday! Do not weary of it! Look, no one can take his things with him. Look, no one who has gone there returns again." (translation from Parkinson,1991,146) Inside the vaulted chapel The surviving niche of Ramose's chapel complex of his tomb no. 212. Chapel north of the tomb 356 List of Deir el-Medina tombs 1 - Sennedjem , Servant in the Place of Truth under Seti I and Ramesses II 2 - Khabekhnet , Servant in the Place of Truth 3 - Pashedu , Servant in the Place of Truth on the west of Thebes (Also owner of tomb 326) 4 - Qen (link to the Griffith Institute Archive ), Chiseller of Amūn in the Place of Truth. (Perhaps also owner of tomb 337.) Rameses II 5 - Neferabu , Servant in the Place of Truth on the west of Thebes. Ramesside 6 - Neferhotep and son Nebnefer 7 - Ramose (also tombs 212 and 250) 8 - Kha, architect of Amenhotep II 9 - Amenmose 10 - Kasa and Penbuy (link to the Griffith Institute Archive ) 206 - Inpumheb, scribe of the Place of Truth 210 - Raweben 211 - Paneb 212 - Ramose , scribe of the Place of Truth (also tombs 7 and 250) 213 - Penamun 214 - Khawi, guard in the Place of Truth 215 - Amenemopet, scribe of the king in the Place of Truth (link to the Griffith Institute Archive ) (also tomb 265) 216 - Neferhotep, the foreman 217 - Ipuy, sculptor under Ramesses II (link to the Griffith Institute Archive ) 218 - Amenakhte and Iymway . Excavated by Bruyère in 1928 219 - Nebenmaat . Excavated by Bruyère in 1928 220 - Khaemteri . Excavated by Bruyère in 1928 250 - Ramose, scribe of the Place of Truth (also tombs 7 and 212) 265 - Amenemopet, scribe of the king in the Place of Truth (also tomb 215) 266 - Amennakht, chief craftsman of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of Truth 267 - Hay, officer of workmen in the Place of Truth 268 - Nebnakhte (family tomb) 290 - Irynefer 291 - Nakhtmin or Nu 292 - Pashedu 298 - Baki or Wennefer 299 - Inherkau (also tomb 359) 321 - Khaemopet 322 - Penshenabu 323 - Pashedu, draughtsman in the Place of Truth 325 - Simen 326 - Pashedu, foreman (also tomb 3) 327 - Turobay 328 - Hay 329 - Mose and Ipy 330 - Karo 335 - Nakhtamun 336 - Neferrenpet 337 - Eskhons and Qen, chiseller in the Place of Truth 338 - May 339 - Huy or Pashedu (Ramesside Period) 340 - Amenemhat (also tomb 354) 354 - Amenemhat (also tomb 340) 355 - Amenpahapy 356 - Amonemuia. Excavated by Bruyère in 1928 357 - Tutihermaktuf. Excavated by Bruyère in 1929 359 - Inherkau, foreman in the Place of Truth under Ramesses III and IV (also tomb 299) 360 - Qeh, foreman in the Place of Truth 361 - Huy, main carpenter in the Place of Truth Tombs and pits excavated by Bruyère in 1928 1102 - 19th dynasty 1119 - Ramesside tomb - 1129 - 18th dynasty 1130 - situated 9 m north of the court of TT337 1131 - situated 4 m at 6 degrees north of TT337. 18th dynasty objects found 1132 - situated 10 m north of No 1130 1133 - situated 9 m from TT3. 5 steps staircase, simple chamber, amphorae fragments found 1134 - situated east of TT1133 1135 - situated 10 m east of TT325 chapel 1136 - situated 8.20 m south-west of TT325 chapel 1137 - situated 5.35 m north-east of TT337 court. 18th dynasty brick and 18th dynasty hieratic inscription found found 1138 - Nakhy and Amenwahsu. Situated south of TT325 chapel. 18th dynasty. 64 funerary cones found 1139 - situated 14 m north of TT337 1140 - 18th dynasty 1141 - situated 8 m east of 1139 1142 - situated 5 m east of TT337 1143 - situated 8.7 m east of 1140. Pit 2.9 m deep. Pottery fragments found 1144 - situated 5 m nort-east of 1139. Pit 3.45 m deep. 18th dynasty. Pottery fragments found 1145 - situated 13 m east of TT 340. Pit 3.65 m deep. 18th dynasty. Pottery 1146 - rectangular, 3.2 m long 1147 - 1148 - style of the 18th dynasty 1149 - situated 8.7 m north of TT329 court and 8.2 m west of TT250 chapel 1150 - north of TT250. Brick with cartouche of Tuthmosis IV (1419-1386 BC) found. 18th dynasty 1151 - fragments of pottery found 1152 1153 1154 1155 1156 1157 1158 1159 - pit 1. Hermes, pit 2. Sennefer 1160 - situated south of TT250. 18th dynasty 1162 - 18th dynasty 1163 - 18th and 19th dynasty. Brick with cartouche of Tuthmosis I (1524-1518 BC) 1161 - 18th dynasty, pit 3.90 m, 1 vertical chamber 1164 - 18th, 19th dynasty. Pottery found. The owner identified as Aamek 1165 - 18th dynasty 1166 - name of the owner lost, 18th dynasty 1168 - 18th dynasty 1169 - 18th dynasty 1170 - 18th dynasty. 1171 1172 1173 1174 1176 - 18th dynasty 1180 - 18th dynasty 1181 - 18th dynasty 1182 - 18th dynasty 1183 1184 1206 - anonymous The text on this page was written by Lenka Peacock using the sources below. Photography © Lenka and Andy Peacock Sources: 1. Benderitter, Thierry: https://www.osirisnet.net/tombes/artisans/e_artisans.htm No longer available 2. Bruyère, Bernard : Tombes Thebaines. La Necropole de Deir el-Medineh. Tom 1. Cairo : 1926. 3. Bruyère, Bernard: Rapport sur les Fouilles de Deir el Medineh (1928) Le Caire : Imprimerie de l'Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale, 1929. 4. David, A. Rosalie: The pyramid builders of ancient Egypt : a modern investigation of Pharaoh's workforce. London : Routledge, 1986. 5. Deir el-Medina in the third millenniuim AD : a tribute to Jac. J. Janssen / edited by R. J. Demarée and A. Egberts Leiden : Nederlands Instituut voor Het Nabije Oosten, 2000. 6. Janssen, Rosalind and Janssen, Jac. J.: Growing up and getting old in ancient Egypt London : Golden House Publications, 2007. 7. Parkinson, Richard: Voices from Ancient Egypt London : British Museum Press, 1991. 8. Shaw, Ian: British Museum dictionary of ancient Egypt. London : British Museum Press, 1995. 9. Taylor, John H.: Death and the afterlife in ancient Egypt London : British Museum Press, 2001. 10. Waseda University Institute of Egyptology web site at http://www.waseda.jp/prj-egypt/sites/DeM/DeM-E.html 11. Weeks, Kent R.: The treasures of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings Cercelli : White Star Publishers, 2005 Further bibliography Back to top

Sennedjem's tomb no 1 at Deir el-Medina lies within the Western cemetery. It was discovered intact in 1886. The opening and clearing of this intact burial place was overseen by Gaston Maspero, the head of the Antiquities Service at the time. Sennedjem's tomb no 1 at Deir el-Medina The tomb lies within the Western cemetery. It was discovered intact in 1886. The opening and clearing of this intact burial place was supervised by Gaston Maspero, the head of the Antiquities Service at the time. Twenty mummies, nine in coffins and eleven wrapped only in linen, were found in the vaulted burial chamber, which measures 5.12 m by 2.61 m and 2.40 m high. The owner of the tomb was Sennedjem, a "servant of the place of truth" who lived in the village at the beginning of the 19th dynasty and then shared this "house of eternity" with his wife Iyinofreti, their son Khons and daughter-in-law Tamakhet, and the lady Isis, wife of their second son Khabekhnet, together with their grandchildren. Both Sennedjem and his wife lived to a ripe old age. Iyinofreti's mummy, now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, is that of a woman aged around 75. Sennedjem's house is in the south-west corner of the settlement. It is next to the house of his son Khabekhnet. Shabti of Sennedjem Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge E.9.1887. Limestone with pigment Height 21.5 cm. From Deir el-Medina, Tomb 1 of Sennedjem New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, reign of Seti I, 1294-1279 BC The shabti holds a broad-bladed hoe against his right shoulder and a pointed hoe against his left shoulder. A basket for seeds is depicted on his back, suspended from a rope over his right shoulder. The text calls upon the shabti as a servant, literally "hearer of the call", to act on behalf of Sennedjem when needed in any of the work being done at the necropolis. Shabti of Sennedjem Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna , Egyptian - Oriental Collection, Inv AE_INV_6614 New Kingdom 19th dynasty, around 1300 BC From Deir el-Medina, Tomb 1 of Sennedjem Limestone, painted Height: 28.3 cm Width: 9.95 cm Depth: 8.8 cm For the translation of the hieroglyphic inscription click here . Photo by Lenka Peacock,2004 © The Fitzwilliam Museum Photo by Lenka Peacock,2010 © Kunsthistorisches Museum To view and browse the digitised version of The Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Statues, Reliefs and Paintings, (also known as Porter & Moss or TopBib) for this tomb, go to http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/topbib/pdf/pm1-1.pdf#page=19 Material for the Bibliography is gathered from an ever-expanding range of multi-lingual sources, encompassing both specialist and semi-popular Egyptological and Near Eastern publications, periodicals, museum guides, exhibition and auction catalogues, together with the growing wealth of web resources. The Bibliography also analyses a range of unpublished manuscripts, including those housed in the Griffith Institute Archive. Published in May 2014 by the Griffith Institute, University of Oxford, the volumes are constantly revised and augmented. 22 September 2019, Nevine El-Aref for ahram-online "The anthropoid coffin of Sennedjem, who was the overseer of workers at Deir Al-Medina necropolis in Luxor, arrived to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation (NMEC) where it was unpacked. Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany witnessed the unpacking process. The mummy of Sennedjem was removed from the coffin after the unpacking to enter the fumigation tent. El-Enany described the fumigation process like medical surgery, to restore and preserve the mummy under the direction of skilled restorers. Ahmed El-Sherbini, supervisor general of the NMEC, said that the coffins of Sennedjem and one of his wives are in a very good state of conservation and were previously exhibited at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, amongst the funerary collection of Sennedjem found inside his tomb discovered in 1886 by French Egyptologist Maspero. Both coffins are painted anthropoid coffins with mummies of the deceased inside" http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/351273.aspx Sources: 1. Farid, Hany and Farid, Samir: Unfolding Sennedjem's tomb In: KMT: A modern Journal of Ancient Egypt, Spring 2001. Pp. 1-8. 2, Hobson, Christine: Exploring the world of the pharaohs London : Thames and Hudson, 1990. 3. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/351273.aspx Further bibliography Back to top

Deir el-Medina is one of the best preserved ancient settlements in the whole of Egypt. It is situated in a small secluded valley in the shadow of the Theban hills, on the west bank of the Nile, across from modern-day Luxor in Upper Egypt. Deir el-Medina is one of the best preserved ancient settlements in all of Egypt. It lies in a small secluded valley in the shadow of the Theban hills on the west bank of the Nile, opposite modern-day Luxor in Upper Egypt. The site is unique for the unparalleled wealth of archaeological, artistic and textual evidence that has survived and from which we can reconstruct many aspects of the daily lives of its ancient inhabitants. This website serves as a comprehensive resource, offering a glimpse into the past and present of this fascinating archaeological site. Our collection of photographs, taken during our visits to Egypt and various museums housing artefacts from Deir el-Medina, provides a visual narrative to complement the historical accounts. Through these images we aim to transport you to this ancient settlement and immerse you in its rich history. Updates October 2026: Private Statuary at Deir el-Medina lecture by David Brügger Mgr. Lenka Peacock Somerset, UK Contact: lenkapeacock@gmail.com Copyright © 2005-2026 Lenka & Andy Peacock unless otherwise stated. All content, design and images on this website are copyright and may not be reproduced for any purpose without the written permission of the copyright holder. Any material forming part of this website may not be used for publication on any other website without permission. Thank you for visiting!

The Berlin Museum and the German Orient Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft) were granted a concession to excavate at Western Thebes during 1911-1913. Their work at Deir el-Medina was conducted under the leadership of Georg Möller, a distinguished paleographer, in 1913. Neues Museum, Berlin, Germany The Berlin Museum and the German Orient Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft) were granted a concession to excavate at Western Thebes during 1911-1913. Their work at Deir el-Medina was conducted under the leadership of Georg Möller, a distinguished paleographer, between the 26th February and the 29th March 1913. Their dig covered 4 locations and resulted in numerous finds: more than 160 hieratic ostraka and 70 figured ostraka were recovered. 11 houses together with their contents were uncovered and within the Eastern cemetery 4 graves of children were located. Their results within the Western cemetery produced 10-13 excavated tombs (McDowell,1999,24-25). Rudolf Anthes published a brief report of the excavations based on Möller's notes in his Die deutschen Grabungenauf der Westseite von Theben in den Jahren 1911 und 1913 published in Sammlung des Heidelberger ägyptologischen Instituts in 1943. https://www.smb.museum/en/museums-institutions/neues-museum/collections-research/about-the-collection/ I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Dr. Helmut Satzinger, Professor of Egyptology, University of Vienna, Former Keeper of the Egyptian and Near Eastern Collection, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, who so kindly devoted his time and effort during my visit to the Museum. All photographs were taken by Lenka Peacock in 2011 and are © Neues Museum. I would also like to thank Jan Kunst from Holland for his constructive comments, corrections and additions to the following text, and to Ingeborg Waanders, also from Holland, for her expertise, support and encouragement. Representation of the deified queen Ahmose-Nefertari New Kingdom, 20th dynasty, 1152-1145 BC From Thebes, Inherkau's tomb TT 359 at Deir el-Medina Painted plaster Inv.-No.ÄM 2060 Ahmose-Nefertari wears a flowing, pleated dress, typical in representations of elite women of the Ramesside period (about 1295-1069 BC) rather than the period during which the Queen was alive. On her head she wears the vulture head-dress of the goddess Mut, consort of the god Amun of Thebes, surmounted by a sun-disc and ostrich plumes. The cobra on her crown and the flail in her hand indicate her royal status. The lotus blossom was often held by deceased women, thought to be representing rebirth. The black colour of Ahmose-Nefertari's skin does not reflect her true coloration, but may symbolise regeneration. Representation of the deified Pharaoh Amenhotep I New Kingdom, 20th dynasty, 1152-1145 BC. From Thebes, Inherkau's tomb TT 359 at Deir el-Medina Painted plaster Inv.-No.ÄM 2061 Amenhotep I is shown wearing a blue cap-wig, with a uraeus on its front. It is topped with a sun-disc. Amenhotep holds a crookand a flail, symbols of royalty, in his right hand. He holds an ankh, symbol of life, in his left hand. The king is shown wearing the classic shendjyt-kilt, and a longer see-through linen garment. To read more about the cult of the deified couple, follow the link to the Amenhotep temple at Deir el-Medina. Tomb relief of Khabekhnet in front of royal families From TT2 at Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, the reign of Merneptah, 1213-1203 BC Plaster Limestone Inv.-No.ÄM 1625 Khabekhnet was the eldest son of Sennedjem (TT1 ). He lived during the 19th dynasty when Ramesses II (1279-1212 BC) was on the throne. His title was "Servant in the Place of Truth". He lived in Deir el-Medina and worked in the royal tombs at the Valley of the Kings. Khabekhnet's house was located in the southwestern part of the village. It stood next to the house of his father Sennedjem (Théby,2007,276). Khabekhnet was buried along with his wife, Sahte, and their family in a tomb TT2 in the above and slightly to the south of his father's tomb. Khabekhnet's family was as extensive as Sennedjem's family. A stela found in the courtyard of the tomb contains the names of Khabekhnet, his brother Khons and several children: Mose, Anhotep, Amenemheb, Isis and Henutweret. Benedict Davies suggests they all were Khabekhnet's offspring (Davis,1999,45). The relief below comes originally from his tomb. It shows Khabekhnet standing in a gesture of adoration on the right in front of a row of deceased kings. The purpose of this relief might lie in the fact, that he could have been responsible for the care of their tombs. Votive stele of Ta New Kingdom, 20th dynasty, 1152-1145 BC. From Deir el-Medina Limestone Inv.-No.ÄM 20989 Osiris with a djed-pillar instead of his head Votive stele of a family praying to Meretseger From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 18th dynasty, around 1500 BC Inv.-No.ÄM 24029 Stela of Ubekhet praying in front of the snake goddess Meretseger son: Ani-Nakht From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, around 1200 BC Inv.-No.ÄM 21565 Figured ostrakon New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, 1292-1187 BC From Deir el-Medina Limestone Inv.-No.ÄM 21446 The drawing represents a procession of a deity in its sacred shrine on a boat equipped with long wooden poles being carried by temple priests. During festivals the gods were taken out of their shrines and temples and their image - shrouded and invisible to the crowds of onlookers - were carried in processions in order to visit the neighbouring sanctuaries. The boats in which the shrines rested were constructed of foreign wood and were embellished with precious metals. The prow of the boat bears the likeness of the deity, in this case the ram's head signifies Amun (Meskell,2004,95-97). The ram is wearing a broad collar around his neck and his head is surmounted by a ureaus within a solar disk. The sacred shrine, which is located centrally on the boat, dominates the deck. The shrine does not seem to be veiled and is open to the view. The portable barque of the god is visible inside and is flanked by 2 protecting deities. The top of the shrine is flat and corniced, surmounted by a cobra frieze. On the prow two deities stand in front of a plumed Wepwawet standard. The deity on the left might represent the goddess Maat as a feather is apparent on her head. A reclining sphinx is placed behind the standard and faces the prow. The scene in front of the shrine is at first glance difficult to understand as it gives the impression that the two figures, standing behind the sphinx and facing the shrine, are interacting with each other. It is the opinion of Jan Kunst, a Dutch Egyptologist, that the impression was created by the fact that the artist run out of space and had to squeeze the figures slightly due to the shortened rendering of the barque dictated by the small size of the ostrakon. According to him both figures represent royal figures, one of a kneeling king (as often can be seen on depictions of the barque of Amun) and behind that a standing king offering a round jar (perhaps a nu jar containing milk or wine) in his outstretched arms. He concludes that similar figures - most likely wooden statues of the king that adorned the actual barque of Amun - were intended on this ostrakon. The drawing looks like a skillful draft for a larger work. Perhaps this is a study in preparation for a temple wall relief or a tomb painting representing a river barge of Amun. The scene is known from some 16 representations found in different locations around Egypt and ranging in date from the New Kingdom down to Ptolemaic times (Murnane,1979,18). A limestone relief of the Beautiful Festival of the Valley, found within the enclosure of the Temple of Hathor at Deir el Medina, dating from the 1st year of reign of Ramesses II, now in Cairo Museum also carries this image and the ostrakon might be a draft for the relief similar to this one. In this relief a similar scene of the barque of Amun is shown on the East side of the South wall of the Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. The king is shown offering the contents of a jar to the statue of Amun, which is placed inside the shrine. The goddesses Maat and Hathor stand on the prow. Ostrakon with king on his throne New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, 1192-1186 BC. From Deir el-Medina Limestone Inv. No. ÄM 21446 Ostrakon of a man driving a pied bull New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, 1292-1187 BC. From Deir el-Medina Limestone The body of the man, who walks alongside the small bull, is painted red, his kilt white. The piece is incomplete and the man's head and his right shoulder are missing. The herdsman's right arm rests on the back of the animal while his left hand rests above his head. The animal is outlined in black and painted mostly black with red markings. The baseline is indicated. The scene is skilfully drawn. It is one of the finest examples of its kind. Hieratic ostrakon 18th - 19th dynasty, 1540-1186 BC From Deir el-Medina Limestone Inv.-No. P 11253 Four lines in black ink of a hieratic inscription. "Month 2 of shemu last day of the month, the delay (?) of a man and another man sanctuary delay (?) 16". (Tranlated from German translation published at https://dem-online.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/recherche.php#conErgebnis ) Fragment of a hieroglyphic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina 20th dynasty, 1160 BC Limestone Inv.-No. P 14320 Hieroglyphic draft for an inscription in the tomb of Ramesses IV. Hieratic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, 1292-1190 BC. Limestone Inv.-No. P 14203 The fragment of this ostrakon written in hieratic script preserved a part of a school text called. "Kemyt". The work named Kemyt (The Compendium), an Egyptian word meaning "what completes, completion", or "what is completed", is mentioned in the 12th dynasty's (circa 1950 BC) The Satire of Trades, so it must be older than that, suggesting Kemyt was a standard text in the 12th dynasty. The greetings in Kemyt, found at the beginning of a letter it contains, are characteristic of formal letters dated to the 11th dynasty (circa 2000 BC), where the origin can be derived. The surviving copies are written in vertical columns divided by spacing lines, in red paint, rather than in horizontal lines written from right to left, which was the norm during the New Kingdom (James,2003,147-148). The appearance of the signs used is old fashioned, characteristic of early Middle Kingdom period. Why have more ostraka with portions of Kemyt survived than those bearing parts of any other literary text? There might be several reasons for that: the text of Kemyt is not particularly interesting (it is a model letter), so perhaps it was in its simplicity and in its lack of difficulties for the young scribe that it could have been used for scribal beginners. It could have been used as the first reader from which the student learned to handle the hieratic script both in reading and writing. Thanks to its standard formulae and expressions the exercise was easy to learn and hard to forget making the work ideal for instructional purposes. Ostrakon with names of kings From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, around 1230 BC Pottery 15 x 10 cm Inv.-No. O. Berlin P 11235 Acquired by Ludwig Borchardt This smooth piece of yellowish brown pottery, probably a vessel fragment, is inscribed on the convex side with 5 + 2 lines in black ink. It is broken off at the upper left edge, end of line 1 is lost, line 3 is effaced. After line 5 there are two lines of writing effaced by the scribe. Classification: account - inventory : deficit Keywords: grain - oil Contents: Account of oil and grain. Below: titulary of Ramesses II. Terminology: ir n (2, 5); wDA.t (1); mn (5); mn.t it (4); gmy.t m sfT (1); gmy.t m Sbn.w (4); TAy (5) Names/Titles: Wsr-mAa.t-Ra stp.n-Ra anx wDA snb (nswt-bity, nb-tA.wy ; king; 5-6 Publication: Deir el Medine online, URL: http://dem-online.gwi.uni-muenchen.de (photograph, description, transcription, transliteration, translation and commentary) ©1998-2017 The Deir el-Medina Database, Leiden University http://dmd.wepwawet.nl/ Hieratic papyrus From Deir el-Medina Dates attributed: 20th dynasty, year 21 of Ramesses III and year 24 of Ramesses III Dimensions: 28 x 20.5 cm Inv.-No. P. Berlin P 10496 Acquired by H. Schäfer in Luxor in 1909 Dates mentioned: rnp.t-sp 21 I Smw sw 7 nswt-bity Wsr-mAa.t-Ra Mry-Imn anx wDA snb (recto 1); rnp.t-sp 24 I Smw sw 30 (verso 6) This is a small dark brown papyrus inscribed on the recto with 17 lines in black ink and on the verso with 15 lines in black but beginning of verso 6 in red ink. Verso 15 (docket) is written upside down along the lower edge. Top recto = bottom verso. The papyrus is damaged - first half of recto 15-17 and verso 1-3 are now lost. Contents: A committee inspecting the tomb of the workman 2a-m-Nwn found that it could be reached through the (nearby) tomb of the workman Imn-m-Ip.t (the speaker). The latter was asked to open his tomb. When inspected, it turned out that this tomb contained an uninscribed coffin. The matter was settled by an oath (by Imn-m-Ip.t ?). Three years later, Imn-m-Ip.t had a quarrel about his tomb with the workman Wn-nfr, who was accused of throwing the 'mistress' of Imn-m-Ip.t (i.e. the mummy of a female ancestor?) out of the tomb. This matter was also settled by an oath. Names and titles mentioned in the text: an. (pA HoA anx wDA snb ; verso 1); an. (Pr-aA anx wDA snb ; king; verso 4); an. (tAy=i Hnw.t ; f.; verso 10); Imn (deity; verso [1]); Imn-m-Ip.t sA Ra-mry (rmT-is.t ; verso 6); Imn-m-Ip.t (rmT-is.t ; recto 5); Imn-ms (verso 9); Imn-nxt (sS n TAty ; recto 7, verso 8); Imn-nxt (sS ; recto 2, 5, 17, verso 13); Imn-xa (idn.w ; recto 3, 5-6, verso 9); In-Hr-xa (idn.w ; recto 2-3, 6); In-Hr-xa (aA n is.t ; verso 8; cf. 2a ); ax-p.t (sS ; recto 16); Wn-nfr sA Pn-Imn (rmT-is.t ; verso 7); Wn-nfr (sS ; recto 2); BAk (verso 10); BAk-n-wrnr (rmT-is.t ; recto 10); PA-bAk (verso 13); Nfr-Htp (AT.w ; recto 6, verso 14); nswt-bity Wsr-mAa.t-Ra Mry-Imn anx wDA snb (king; recto 1); 1r sA 1y-nfr (recto 10); 1sy-sw-nb=f (rmT-is.t ; verso 8); 2a (aA n is.t ; verso 13 - for In-Hr-xa ); 2a-m-Nwn (rmT-is.t ; recto 4 - written 2a-Nwn ; 11 - no title); 2nsw (aA n is.t ; recto 2, 11, verso 7-8, 13) Incomplete: [...] (sS ; rt. 17) Text is related to the British Museum ostrakon EA 5624 and and ostrakon in the Archaeological Museum in Florence O. Florence 2621. Publication of the papyrus: 1. Allam: Hieratische Ostraka und Papyri, 277-280 (no. 265), pl. 80-83 (photograph, transcription, translation and commentary); 2. Blackman IN: JEA 12 (1926), 177-181 (translation, commentary); 3. G. Burkard, H. Fischer-Elfert: Aegyptische Handschriften 4 (Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland XIX, 4), Stuttgart 1994, 67, no. 92 (description; transcription and transliteration of recto 1 and verso 14); 4. Erman: Zwei Aktenstücke ... , 331-336, 339-347 (transcription, translation, commentary); 5. Helck: Materialien III, 348 and 349 (translation recto 1-14 and verso 6-12; commentary); 6. Kitchen. K.: Ramesside Inscriptions V, 476-478 (transcription); 7. Wilson IN: JNES 7 (1948), 139, nos. 57 and 58 (translation verso 1-5 and 11-14; commentary) (Description and other additional information accessed from the Deir el-Medina database of the Leiden University at http://www.wepwawet.nl/dmd/scripts/dmdobj.asp?id=P.%20Berlin%20P%2010496 ) Ancestral bust Possibly from Deir el-Medina New Kingdom Limestone with traces of pigment Inv.-No.ÄM 20994 Face features are carefully modelled with some paint remainig. The tripartite wig is painted. The front bears a hieroglyphic inscription mentioning the goddess Hathor with her title. There are a few gouges on the body and its face. 77 examples of anthropoid or ancestral busts have been revealed during excavations at Deir el-Medina, further 11 busts are attributed to the site by their owners or dealers or can be connected to Deir el-Medina on stylistic grounds, and 3 more busts that were in the Luxor and Cairo antiquities markets in 1934-1935 (probably originating from Bernard Bruyère's excavations) that are now lost (Keith,2011,8-9). The busts generally do not bear inscriptions, only 5 bear signs. Typically small, they measure from 10 to 25 cm in height and are made of limestone or sandstone. We can assume that most were originally painted as remains of pigment on some are evident. The gender of the most of the busts is open to question (Janssen,2007,187). The figures are referred to as 'ancestor busts'. It is thought that they were placed in the small shrine areas which seemed to form part of private homes, and played a part in the private devotions of the family. Five busts were found in houses at Deir el-Medina, where they could have been placed in wall niches in the first and second rooms. The wall niches are comparable in size, so this seems probable. Rather than representing anyone in particular, the busts anonymous nature suggests that they represent all the ancestors whom the family might wish to commemorate. Another theory is that they represent "the able spirit" of those, who had been authoritative in life, by inference, the older members of the community. In troubled times people turned to them for help, i.e. to a parent still remembered, not to an ancestor of long ago. Some of these must have been older women. Similar objects have been found at fourteen other sites from the central Delta to the Third Cataract. They were found in or near houses as well as in tombs and temples. Whether the context was domestic or religious we cannot be sure, but it is understood that for the worshiper the ancestor busts conjured up memories of a deceased relative. Doum-palm nuts From Deir el-Medina These 3 nuts come from a tree called doum palm ("hyphaene thebaica") which only grows in Upper Egypt, specifically in the region to the south of Abydos. Numerous depictions on the tomb walls from the New Kingdom show the tree, whose fruit was among the items wanted by the deceased. The fruits of the palm have been found in many tombs, from as early as the Predynastic Period. Basket with linen New Kingdom, 1540-1075 BC From Deir el-Medina Basketry, linen Inv.-No.ÄM 20995 Inv.-No.ÄM 7243 Folded linen, stained Two well-preserved pairs of sandals meant for a child From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom - Late Period, 1540-332 BC Vegetable fibres, leather Inv.-No. ÄM 10824/1,2 Inv.-No. ÄM 20998 In ancient Egypt a wide variety of materials - mainly organic (vegetable fibres, leather, wood) - was used to make footwear. There were various types of vegetable fibres such as palm leaf and fibre (the leaf sheath of a palm leaf), halfa grasses and reeds. Leather was oil-cured to make the skin durable. In earlier times sinew was used for sewing the parts together and later on flax was used but also, on a limited scale, leather thongs were employed. Scenes in tombs sometimes show leatherworkers making sandals they pull the strap through the sole with their teeth, put skin in vases with oil to make the skin durable or men are shown cleaning the skin. The production of fibre footwear is never shown. Some people believe that, therefore, it might have been a household activity. Scenes of sandalmakers are shown as part of a larger composition: a leather workshop where also other objects were made, such as chariots and weaponry (Veldmeijer,2014,18-19). 1. Sewn sandals Distinction is beeing made between three types of Sewn Sandals: type A, B and C. This pair represents the so-called A-Type: the soles are symmetrical or near-symmetrical lengthwise, thick and the number of transverse bundles is low (< 30). Both sandals have twelve transverse bundles (the front and especially the back one have a substantially smaller diameter), which are sewn in a fairly regular way. The transverse rows are finished with an edge, which is made in the same technique, i.e. a fibre core, which is wrapped and sewn with palm leaf strips. The triple edge is of unequal diameter - theouter one being the thinniest. The straps are incomplete, but enough is preserved in situ to see that there were back and front ones. 2. Leather composite sandals This is a well-made pair of sandals, which consist of several sole layers. The leather is coloured in bright hues - mainly red and green - and the dorsal surface of the sole and the straps are decorated. The heel is rounded and the waist is constricted. From here, the width increases towards the front almost equally until, approximately, the first quarter of the length. Here, the lateral edge continues with a wider curve towards the big toe area. The treadsole is fairly thick. The straps are mainly in place. Painted terracotta jug with handles From Deir el-Medina 18th-19th dynasty, 1550-1187 BC Pottery Height: 25.5 cm Inv.-No. ÄM 21327 Painted clay vessel with motives of ornaments, flowers, mimusops fruits, wreaths/collars and a checkerboard pattern. Sources: 1. McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999. 2. Meskell, Lynn: Object worlds in ancient Egypt : Material biographies past and present Oxford : Berg, 2004. 3. Théby : město bohů a faraónů = Thebes : city of gods and pharaohs / Jana Mynářová & Pavel Onderka (eds.) Praha : Národní Museum, 2007. 4. Davies, Benedict G.: Who's who at Deir el-Medina : a prosopographic study of the royal workmen's community Leiden : Nederlands Instituut voor Her Nabije Oosten, 1999 5. Murmane, William J.: The bark of Amun on the third pylon at Karnak. IN : Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Vol. 16,(1979), pp.11-27. 6. James, T.G.H.: Pharaoh's people : scenes from life in Imperial Egypt New York : Tauris Parke, 2003. 7. Keith, Jean Lewis: Anthropoid Busts of Deir el Medineh and Other Sites and Collections : Analyses, Catalogue, Appendices / with contributions by Sylvie Donnat, Anna K. Stevens, Nicola Harrington Le Caire : Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale, 2011 8. Janssen, Rosalind and Janssen, Jac. J.: Growing up and getting old in ancient Egypt London : Golden House Publications, 2007. 9. Veldmeijer, André J.: Footwear in Ancient Egypt: the Medelhavsmuseet collection Varldskulturmuseerna Stockholm : National Museums of World Culture, 2014 http://www.egyptian-museum-berlin.com/index.php http://dem-online.gwi.uni-muenchen.de/index.php http://www.hethert.org/beautifu.html http://www.wepwawet.nl/dmd/scripts/dmdobj.asp?id=P.%20Berlin%20P%2010496 Further bibliography Back to top

The majority of the stelae, held at Kingston Lacy, originated at Deir el-Medina. The stelae represent the earliest objects from Deir el-Medina to arrive on the British soil. They were brought back to England by William John Bankes (1786-1855). Kingston Lacy, Dorset, England The Ancient Egyptian Collection, assembled by John William Bankes (1786-1855) during his travels to Egypt in 1815 and 1818-1819, is the only surviving intact collection of 19th-century Egyptian antiquities in an English country house. The house became the property of the National Trust, UK, in 1981 after the death of Ralph Bankes. Some 100 objects have been on display in the Billiards Room since 1992. These include a collection of stelae, fragments of Theban tomb paintings, amulets, shabtis, reliefs, scarabs, bronzes, fragments of furniture and small divine statuettes. There is an obelisk from Philae and a granite sarcophagus in the grounds of the house. A collection of papyri (see below), mostly late copies of the Book of the Dead and several letters, and a recently discovered collection (in an unmarked crate in the basement in 2007) of 212 Upper Egyptian ostraka, represent the written sources of this collection. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/kingston-lacy Most of the stelae at Kingston Lacy are from Deir el-Medina. The stelae are the earliest objects from Deir el-Medina to reach British soil. It is thought that John William Bankes acquired the stelae during his second visit to Egypt in 1818 and that they were assembled by Henry Salt, the British Consul General, with whom Bankes was staying at the time. The year 1818 rather than 1819 is suggested because Giovanni d'Athanasi, Salt's agent and excavator, may have helped to collect them and he was working for Salt in 1818. 1818 is also the year in which Bankes is known to have collected a number of late Ramesside letters (see below) in Thebes. Jaroslav Černý published a description and translation of the stelae in 1958 in his "Egyptian Stelae in the Bankes Collection". In his preface to the publication he regretted the quality of the photographs of the stelae, which did not show the details of the hieroglyphs very clearly. Since then the stelae have been cleaned and conserved by the National Trust team. With the kind permission of the House and Collections Manager at Kingston, Lacy Robert Gray, I photographed the stelae in September 2011 and present them below, together with translations mainly by Jaroslav Černý, whose language has been modernised. Some names have been transliterated according to the usage in modern genealogical sources. All translated text is in italics. The collection has been numbered in what is believed to be the correct chronological order. The photographs were updated in April 2022 during our last visit to the collection. I would like to thank Rosalind Janssen, who specialises in Deir el-Medina, and Jan Kunst, a Dutch Egyptologist, for their constructive and interesting comments on the content of this site. I would also like to thank Ann Smith, from the UK, and Ingeborg Waanders, from Holland, for helping me to acquire valuable primary sources. All photographs were taken by Lenka Peacock and are © of The National Trust, UK. Bankes stela no. 1. Stela of draughtsman May From Deir el-Medina Late 18th, early 19th dynasty Limestone Height: 30 cm Width: 21 cm This is a round-topped stela with a double division. In the lunette - the spatial area in the upper part of the stela - the solar barque carries a solar disc over the sky, represented by the hieroglyphic sign pt (sky). On the right side of the barque a child is seated with his thumb in his mouth. The lower part of the stela consists of an image of a man standing at the bottom of the right side of the stela. He is looking to the right. His arms are raised in a pose of worship. Above and in front of the figure there are 10 columns with hieroglyphic inscriptions. The columns are written from top to bottom and read from left to right. The text consists of a hymn to the setting sun: "Praise to Re when he sets in the western horizon of the sky. You have appeared in the western half as Atum, who is in the evening, having come in your power, having no opponents, and having taken possession of the sky as Re. You appear and shine on the back of your mother, having appeared (as) the King of the Divine Ennead. I have done right in your presence, and I kiss the ground (for?) your crew, and I worship you as you travel through the heavens, your heart rejoicing. The Island of Flame has become peaceful, your enemies have fallen and are no more. The dwelling place of the evil dragon is doomed. Your body is Atum in the Boat of the Morning, the rightful one of the Two Lands. Beautiful is the boat of the evening when it has reached its end. (Said) by the draughtsman May, true of voice." This type of stela is called a Lucarne stela. A total of 13 Lucarne stelae from Deir el-Medina have been identified. This stela is an early example of its type because the owner is shown standing rather than kneeling in worship. Only 1 other stela - Turin 50043 - shares this feature, all other 11 stelae show the owner kneeling. The Lucarne stelae share the following characteristics - a sun barque shown in the lunette, usually placed above the pt sign - a solar disc or other representation of the sun god is depicted in the solar barque - The sun god is accompanied by other symbols related to him (worshipping baboons, wedjat eyes). - The owner either stands or kneels in worship before the barque. - Although the owner's relatives may be depicted, this is rarely the case. - The hymn, written in columns, praises the rising and/or setting sun. Lucarne stelae were made from the late 18th dynasty to the 20th dynasty. They measure between 30 and 55 cm (Goyon, 2007, 1953-1954). The owner of the stela was called May. He was a painter employed in the Theban necropolis and lived in Deir el-Medina in the 18th dynasty, around 1300 BC. His title was the "outline draughtsman of Amun" (Rice, 105-106). His tomb is located in the western necropolis of Deir el-Medina near the tomb of the architect Kha (TT8) and is numbered TT 338 . The wall paintings from May's tomb were removed from the walls and taken to Turin. They are on display in the Museo Egizio, Turin, Italy. The stela would have come from a niche in May's chapel, where it would have been placed on a stone pedestal. (according to Bernard Bruyère) When Deir el-Medina was excavated in the last century, these chapels were were partially or completely lost, as they were built above ground and made of mud bricks. Bankes stela no. 2. Stela depicting Huy From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, beginning of the reign of Ramesses II, 1270s BC Limestone Height: 46 cm Width: 28 cm This round stele is divided into 2 registers. The upper register depicts two deities seated on their thrones This round-topped stela consists of 2 registers. In the upper register two gods seated on their thrones are described in hieroglyphic inscriptions together with their epithets. The first one is Amun-Re, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands, residing in Waset, foremost of the Westerners, the great god. Behind Amun-Re sits his daughter Mut, Lady of Heaven, Mistress of the Two Lands. Behind the throne of Mut stands a goddess with the head of a lion. Jaroslav Černý translated the inscription which identifies her as the daughter of Re, the cobra. Jan Kunst, a Dutch Egyptologist, points out that to translate the name as "The Cobra" the feminine definite article tA should be used instead of the masculine pA . He suggests that the goddess might be Wadjet. Wadjet is sometimes referred to as the "Eye of Re" and can be depicted in leonine form or as a lion-headed woman, just like Bastet, with whom she was strongly associated. She was also strongly associated with Mut, which may explain her presence in this otherwise unusual combination. One of her epithets is "She of Pe", py.t , which may somehow (but not entirely) explain the pA . The cobra hieroglyph is probably the determinative for a goddess rather than an ideogram, as Jan Kunst explains in our private correspondence. A man is standing before the divine triad. His hands are raised in worship as he makes an offering, burning incense in a holder held in his left hand. The inscription reads: Made by the servant in the Place of Truth, Huy, true of voice. The lower register contains a procession of 2 men, 4 women and a small child. They are all facing the triad and are supposed to be following Huy. The columns of inscriptions around them give us their names, sometimes their titles and their relationship to Huy. The first man on the left - directly behind Huy in the procession - is Kaha, who was probably responsible for the erection of this stela. The inscription reads 'Made by the servant in the place of truth, Kaha, true of voice' . Behind Kaha is his brother Paherypedjet . Paherypedjet's hand touches the head of the child standing between Kaha and himself, his son Khuru . He is depicted as a small naked boy. This stela, representing three generations of the same family, is an example of the valuable source of information that helps Egyptologists to reconstruct the chronological framework of the labour force at Deir el-Medina. Behind Paherypedjet stands his mother Tanehsy , followed by his sister, the lady of the house, Tuy . The procession is completed by two women standing side by side, his son (sic.sister) Takhat and his sister Na'ay, true of voice . Huy served as an important official at Deir el-Medina in the early 19th dynasty. His title was "Chief Craftsman at the Place of Truth in West Thebes" (Davies, 1996, 15). Tanehsy, the first lady from the left, is the wife of Huy. She is the mother of Kaha who stands behind his father Huy in the procession - the first one on the left in the lower register of the stela. Kaha was a foreman for the "left side" of the crew at Deir el-Medina during the reign of Ramesses II (1279-1212 BC). According to a stela found in the courtyard of his tomb, TT 360, his title was "Chief Workman of Usermaatre-setepenre in the Place of Truth". Kaha's status was reflected in the fact that he occupied one of the largest houses in the 18th dynasty settlement (N.E.VIII) (Davies, 1996, 16). As Kaha's title on this stela does not indicate that he was a foreman, it could be dated to the very beginning of the reign of Ramesses II, as it is believed that Kaha was appointed to the foreman's post in the early years of the reign. The family relationships mentioned in the inscriptions refer to Kaha as the dedicator of the stela rather than Huy, the dedicatee. Kaha's wife Tuy is the woman standing behind Kaha's mother Tanehsy. It is believed that she and Kaha had a large family of at least 6 sons and 5 daughters (Davies, 1996, 16). One of the sons depicted here is Khuru, the little boy, standing next to his uncle - Kaha's brother - Paherypedjet. Takhat and Na'ay are both identified as Kaha's sisters, but I have found no evidence of a sister named Na'ay. We know that Na'ay was the name of Kaha's daughter, but a daughter would not have been an adult woman as depicted on the stela at this time in Kaha's life. In this particular case, the inscription definitely contains an error as the feminine ending for "snt" is missing and the word appears as the masculine form "sn" . The word is usually translated as "sister", but in ancient Egyptian relationships it does not only refer to a sister. Sometimes it also means a wife, a niece, an aunt, etc. The word "sn" , usually translated as "brother", is also used for male relationships between people of different generations who are related directly (an uncle, a nephew, etc.) or by marriage (a brother-in-law). Bankes stela no. 3. Stela of Ramose From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 46 cm Width: 32 cm This round-topped stela consists of 2 registers. In the upper register a goddess is seated on a throne facing to the right. She wears a double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt and is described in the inscription as Mut, the Great, Lady of Isheru, Mistress of the House of Amun, Beautiful of Face in Hut-sekhem. Protection, life and dominion are around her every day, Mut's most popular epithet among the craftsmen. (Jauhiainen, 2009, 120). The same epithet also appears on Bankes stela no. 9. Hut-sekhem is located south-east of Abydos, it is the modern Hiw. In the Greco-Roman period it was known as Diospolis Mikra or Diospolis Parva. (Baines, 1996, 114). Mut is seated before an offering table piled high with ox meat and large bouquets of lotus flowers. Offering all good and very pure things to the lady of the Two Lands, the mistress of the House of Amun. In the lower register a man is depicted kneeling before the goddess with his hands raised in worship. Around and above him there are 9 columns with hieroglyphic inscriptions: Giving praise to Mut, lady of heaven, [mistress of] the House of Amun, with beautiful hand carrying the sistra, sweet of voice. Singers, be content with all she says, pleasing(?) to (your) hearts. May she give life, prosperity and health, intelligence, [favour] and love to the soul of the scribe in the Place of Truth, Ramose, true of voice with the great god. Ramose is one of the best-documented officials of Deir el-Medina. Although he was not born in the village, he became one of the richest men who ever lived there. He was the son of Lady Kakaia and a retainer of Amenemhab (someone who carried messages to officials in the Theban area). Ramose was born around 1314 BC (Booth, 2006, 185). He must have attended scribal schools before becoming a scribe at the temple of Tuthmosis IV. He then moved to Deir el-Medina where he married Mutemwia, "the lady of the house whom he loves". He was appointed "Scribe of the Tomb" by Vizier Paser in year 5 of Ramesses II (O.CGC 25671). He served in this position at least until year 38 of Ramesses II (O.CGC 25809) (Davies, 1996, 98). As Ramose and Mutemwia were continually unable to conceive a child, they prayed to various deities associated with childbirth and fertility. Stela 50066, now in Turin, is dedicated to Qudshu, the Asian goddess of love. There are many stelae and statues recording their pleas, but the couple remained childless. In the end they adopted Kenherkhepshef, like Ramose, probably a newcomer to the village, as an apprentice who would assume the role of the eldest son, take over Ramose's profession and perform funeral rites for them. Ramose's family occupied a house in the northern part of the village. He also owned some land outside Deir el-Medina and there are 3 decorated tombs attributed to him - TT7, TT212 and TT250. Ramose was a contemporary of the foreman Kaha of the Bankes stela no. 2. The next stela also belonged to Ramose. Bankes stela no. 4. Stela of Ramose From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 43 cm Width: 32 cm This round topped stela is divided into 2 registers. The upper register contains the solar barque with images of a scarab beetle, representing the sun, at the stern, while the ibis-headed Thoth stands on the bow offering the Eye of Horus. The centre of the barque was once occupied by a spherical flint representing the solar disc, but it fell out and is lost. It was recorded as still in place by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson in the 1st half of the 19th century. A note was found in his manuscripts indicating that he must have seen at least this particular stele. On the bow of the stela the sun god is seated on a mat in the form of a child. A winged sun fills the curved top of the stela and hovers above the bargue. The lower part bears an image of Ramose kneeling in the lower left corner and 10 columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions which can be translated: "Adoration of Amun-Re, the bull residing in On, the chief of all gods, good god, beloved one, who gives life to all warm blooded-creatures and to all beautiful animals. Hail to you, Amun-Re, lord of the throne of the Two Lands, for most of Opet sut, bull of his mother, for most of his fields, wide of the gate, foremost of the southern land, lord of Madjoy, ruler of Pwene, most ancient in the heavens and eldest in the whole world, who dwells in all things. May you give life, prosperity and health, intelligence, favour and love and a mouthful of food of your giving until I reach the revered state in peace. To the soul of one who is excellent and beloved of his master, chief of the treasury of the house of Menkheperure, chief of the administration in the house of the chief seal-bearer, accountant scribe of the cattle of Amun-Re, assistant letter-writer of the hereditary prince, chief of the works on the west of Waset, chief of the treasury in the place of truth, Ramose, true of voice, from ....." The stela records a series of honours Ramose received before he was appointed to an administrative post in Deir el-Medina. In his commentary on the stelae, Černý thought that the "hereditary prince" mentioned in the text was the Prince Regent, future king Ramesses II. Later, Černý noticed that the first 4 columns of the text were identical with the beginning of the Hymn to Amun preserved on a papyrus now in the Cairo Museum and attributed this title to Amenhotep, son of Hapu, who had his own temple built by Amenhotep III near the temple of Tuthmosis IV where Ramose worked as a scribe (Černý, 1973, 318). Bankes stela no. 5. Aamek's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 51 cm Width: 33 cm This round-topped stela is divided into 2 registers. The lunette is occupied by an image of a sun barque carrying a seated Re-Harakhte, Lord of Heaven, the falcon-headed sun god, worshipped by a baboon. Above the barque are two wedjat-eyes, symbols of protection. The larger lower register depicts a kneeling man in a pose of worship. 9 columns of hieroglyphic inscription identify the owner as Aamek. This is the second example of a Lucarne stela in the Bankes collection. This time the owner is shown kneeling rather than standing, indicating a later date than stela no. The text praises the setting rather than the rising sun: "Hail to Re when he appears on the western horizon of the sky. Hail to you, Harakhte, Khepri who dwells in his boat, that is Re, Lord of Opet-sut, Amun who shines in a sky that has appeared in the western half of the sky. Your mother greets you who have come in your power, for there is no opponent to you. You have taken possession of the sky as Re, you are the god of the world, first in rank by your light, who sees mankind. The gods kneel before you in rejoicing, and all men kiss the earth, and the spirits as well. May I live to praise Your beautiful face, and may You make me rejoice in Your love, like all the righteous. For the soul of the servant in the place of truth, the choir leader in the place of eternity, Aamek, true of voice, son of .... of Barbaste Pakhuru." Re-Harakhte was a worshipped deity at Deir el-Medina. Many stelae were erected in his honour. Stelae no. 1, 5 and 13 of the Bankes Collection are dedicated to Re-Harakhte. The baboon in the solar barque of stela no. 5 represents the god Thoth. Thoth was also worshipped by the community in the form of an ibis-headed deity (stela 4) and a moon (Jauhiainen, 2009, 86). Aamek lived in Deir el-Medina during the early part of the reign of Ramesses II. He had the title "Servant in the Place of Truth". His second title - "3 n" - mentioned in the text was translated by Černý as "leader of the choir". Černý thought that he could have been the leader of the singers who accompanied the statues of the gods carried in processions during various festivals. Bernard Bruyère thought that the post was secular and translated it as "dans les ateliers des cimetières royaux" (Davies, 1996, 244), "in the workshops of the royal cemetery". Aamek was married to Wadjetronpet. Pakhuru, mentioned in the text and translated by Černý as "son", can be identified as either "son" or as "father" of Aamek. Pakhuru mentioned on the verso, line 6 of the BM Absence ostrakon EA 5634 could have been Aamek's son. Aamek probably occupied house S.E. VI at Deir el-Medina, as Bruyère found an inscription on the left jamb of the shrine of the house which reads " ... blessing on] my house, for the spirit of the Servant in the Place of Truth", 'Aamek, justified" (Kitchen, 2001, 486). His stone hut at the top of the cliffs was also identified by Bruyère during his 1934-1935 season. Aamek's tomb is TT 1164 of the western cemetery (Davies, 1996, 245). Bankes stela no. 6 Iyinofreti's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 49.5 cm Width: 32 cm The upper part of this circular stela with two divisions is occupied by a solar barque with a seated falcon-headed solar deity, here identified as Pa-Shu, the Great God, Lord of Heaven. Jan Kunst points out that the solar god is identified as pA Sw , which translates as 'the sun' or 'the light of the sun'. He could therefore be identical to the god worshipped by Akhnaten under the name of Aten. But his iconography is clearly borrowed from Re. The sms -sign, symbol of the followers, holds an image of the full moon and its crescent in front of Pa-Shu , named as Moon-Thoth, the great god. The lower register shows the kneeling dedicator of the stela, a woman called Iyinofreti. Behind her stands a man in a pose of worship. 9 columns of hieroglyphic inscription translate as: [Praising] to Moon-Thoth, great god, who listens to the prayers, kissing the ground for Pa-Shu, great god. Mercy! [You (two)] cause that I see darkness by day, upon the words of women. Be merciful to me, may I see your mercy." (So said) by the mistress of the house, Iyinofreti, the justified. Her son 'Anhotep. (Galan, 1999, 24) Iyinofreti was the wife of Sennedjem, a "servant in the place of truth", who lived in the village at the beginning of the 19th dynasty during the reigns of Seti I and Ramesses II. Their house is located in the south-west corner of the settlement and their tomb TT1 lies nearby on the slopes of the western cemetery. Iyinofreti's mummy, now in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, is that of a woman aged about 75. This is a votive funerary stela dedicated by 'Anhotep, Iyinofreti's grandson (and not his son as the inscription states). He would have placed the stela in the rock shrine. The text is often interpreted in Egyptology circles as a plea for relief from permanent blindness. The inscription refers to "the words of women" as the reason for Iyinofreti seeing darkness. In his commentary, Černý interprets the passage "You cause that I see darkness by day, upon the words of women" as her prayer for relief from blindness caused by women's gossip or quarrels. Sweeney (Sweeney, 2006, 136) agrees with Adel Mahmoud's recent discussion of the physiological information from Iyinofreti's remains, which links her advanced age, plagued by extensive tooth decay, with her plea for relief from blindness, supplemented by textual evidence. On the other hand, Galan believes that the passage in question could refer to possible testimonies against Iyinofreti by her peers (Galan, 1999, 28) and suggests that physiological blindness is not always an adequate explanation. In his article "Seeing darkness", he gathers the corpus of stelae with the text revealing God's punishment of a sinner who confesses his wrongdoing, begs for mercy and promises the proclamation of God's power upon forgiveness. A shift in the perception of the divine is evident here: Egyptian deities are willing to forgive past sins, rather than simply rewarding good and punishing evil. TThe texts do not usually specify the exact nature of the transgressions, nor do they always specify the punishment given. Apart from 3 instances, there are two phrases used to describe the sinner's situation: "you cause that I see darkness by day" or "you cause that I see the darkness you create". Usually the phrase is translated as "becoming blind". Galan's interpretation of the phrase "seeing darkness" is as a metaphor used to refer to the situation in which the deceased find themselves after the Final Judgement and before they reach the Hereafter, where god is. They implore God's mercy in order to have any sins removed and to be able to make contact with the divine. (Galan, 1999, 29-30) A new interpretation of the phrase is discussed by David G. Smith in his two-part article on solar eclipses during the New Kingdom (see the link to the online version of the article in Sources No. 18). According to Smith, during the reign of Ramesses II, when the stela was made, there were eclipses of such magnitude that they would have been experienced as unusual and disturbing events and could have been described as "loss of sight". He argues that this text and others with similar spells were produced in response to actual observations of astronomical phenomena, albeit couched in religious terms. Bankes stela no. 7 Bukanefptah's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 53 cm Width: 30.5 cm This is a large round-topped stela with four divisions. In the lunette the seated goddess is identified as Nebethotep of I-n-tore, Lady of Heaven. She wears a solar disc and cow horns on her head, holding an ankh in her right hand and a papyrus sceptre in her left. In front of her is a pile of offerings. Beside her, in a pose of worship, facing the goddess, stands the donor of the stela. The inscription above her head reads 'Made by the Lady of the House Bukanenfptah, true of voice' . Behind Nebethotep there is a large sistrum with the head of Hathor, guarded on each side by a cat. The inscription above the instrument identifies her as Nebethotep, Mistress of the Two Lands. The second register contains 4 lines of hieroglyphic inscription: Praise your soul, Nebethotep, kissing the earth to the Lady of the Two Lands. I praise your beautiful face every day in order to propitiate your soul. Be merciful to me that I may tell of your power to all who do not know you and to all who know you. For all people come to you in crowds, men and women alike, and they say, "Be merciful to Pipi the beautiful, for she is merciful. The lady of the house, Bukanenfptah, true of voice, she says: Every follower (of her) is in joy. No evil shall befall them, child after child. The next two registers are filled with a procession of men, women, and a child who must be seen by the viewer as following Bukanenfptah and all facing the goddess Nebethotep. The goddess Nebethotep seems to be a form of Hathor, the Solar Eye (Jauhiainen, 2009, 106). The procession is in a festive mood, some are beating tambourines, some are rattling wooden clappers, others are clasping their hands or simply carrying offerings in the form of lotus flowers or food. It has been suggested that the family is participating in the festival of Hathor, the Eye of Re, as the playing of tambourines and clappers was an important part of appeasing the angry Hathor on her return from Nubia (Jauhiainen, 2009, 106). All participants are identified by hieroglyphic captions. The first row starts from the left with The servant in the Place of Truth, Kasa, true of voice. Kasa is followed by his sister, the lady of the house, Bukanenfptah. Her son Nebamentet, her sister Ya and her sister Isis all walk behind Sheritre in the procession. The lower register shows her sister Pipia, her brother the soldier Maia, her brother the soldier Ramose, her sister Bendepentes, her sister Tewosret, her sister Ipu, her brother Tjutju and her brother Piay, the naked boy who closes the procession. This stela is extremely informative about Bukanenfptah's family relationships. Although she is recorded on the stela as Kasa's sister, she was his wife. Kasa's title was "Servant of the Place of Truth". They were both contemporaries of the foreman Kaha on Bankes Stela No. 2, which places them in the first half of Ramesses II's reign. Kasa was a joint owner of TT 10 with the "guardian" Penbuy. There is no surviving textual evidence that their relationship to each other. Bankes stela no. 8 Pyiay's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 53 cm Width: 40.5 cm This round topped stela is carved in well executed raised relief. It is the largest stela in the Bankes collection. In the lower part of the stela, 2 men stand in a pose of worship in front of an offering table and large bouquets of flowers. They are addressing Khnosu-in-Thebes, Neferhotep, Horus of..., who is depicted as a falcon with a crescent and a full moon on his head. On his forehead is an uraeus and around his neck is a massive collar. Jan Kunst explains that what we see here is the bow of the barque of Khonsu, together with the front part of the carrying poles. Apparently, the aegis of Khonsu, which adorned the bow and stern of the barque, was regarded as an embodiment of the god himself. 10 columns of hieroglyphic inscription in the upper part of the stela read: Offering which the king gives to Khonsu-in-Thebes, Neferhotep, Thoth, lord of Upper Egyptian On, scribe of truth of the Divine Ennead, who gives an office to him whom he loves, and a lifetime in his home. Breath is in his grasp, and fate and fortune are from him. How happy is he who is in his favour, evil shall never overtake him. He gives life, prosperity, health, and happiness, a good old age and sound speech, no faulty act of his being brought up until (he) has reached the place of the righteous. To the soul of the chisel-bearer in the Place of Eternity, Piay, repeating life, and (to) the chisel-bearer of Amun, Piay. Černý believed that the first man on the left, worshipping Khonsu-in-Thebes, was the "Sculptor in the Place of Eternity" Piay, who lived in Deir el-Medina during the first half of Ramses II's reign. The name of the sculptor Piay appears on several objects and in several tombs. He married Nofretkhau and had several children with her: Neferronpet, Nakhtamun, Ipuy (also sculptor, TT 217), Sahte, and Henutmehyt (Davies, 1996, 213). The man standing behind him was probably his son of the same name, Paiy. His title "Sculptor of Amun" may explain the fact that his head is shaved as he may have been a priest in the temple of Amun. Bankes stela no. 9 Nekhemmut's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th dynasty Height: 52 cm Width: 35 cm This round top stela is divided into 2 registers. In the upper register a winged sun fills the curved top of the stela and hovers over 5 columns of hieroglyphic inscription. The 3 columns on the right identify a standing king as Lord of the Two Lands, Usermaatre-setepenre, Lord of Appearances, Ramesses-Meryamun, endowed with life like Re forever and ever. Ramses II seems to have been worshipped at Deir el-Medina during his lifetime. The cult continued at least until the end of the Ramesside period (Jauhiainen, 2009, 182). He offers jugs of wine to two goddesses seated on their thrones opposite each other. The one on the left is identified by the first column of the hieroglyphic inscription as Mut, the Great, Lady of Isheru. She wears on her head the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The same epithet appears on Bankes stela no. 3. The second goddess is Hathor, Lady of the West, Lady of the Sky. Hathor's headdress consists of the solar disc and cattle horns. Her name and epithets are written in the second column from the left. In the lower register 2 men and 2 women are depicted kneeling in the pose of adoration. The hieroglyphic inscription above their heads reads: Giving praise to your soul, Hathor, mistress of the West, kissing the earth before Mut, the great, L ady of Isheru, by the servant in the Place of Truth, Nekhemmut, his sister, Lady of the House, Webkhet, his son Khons, his daughter Tamek(et), true of voice, and his daughter Tasak(et), true of voice. Nekhemmut appears in the family tree of Sennedjem. In a scene in the tomb of Sennedjem's son Khabekhnet TT2, Nekhemmut is mentioned as a son of Khons(ii), who was a brother of Khabekhnet and a son of Sennedjem and his wife Iyinofreti, who is depicted on Bankes stela no. 6. Davies identifies Webkhet as the wife of Nekhemmut rather than his sister and suggests that she was a daughter of Khabekhnet and Sahte, which means that the couple were cousins (Davies, 1999, 55). The stela names 3 of their children: son Khnos and daughters Tameket and Tasaket, but only 2 of them are depicted. We know that the couple had another child named Amenkhau (Davies, 1996, genealogical table 7). The offspring are all depicted as adults, but it has been suggested that since the stela is dated to the reign of Ramesses II by his cartouche appearing in the upper register inscription, this may be an artistic device and they may have been only children of a younger age (Davies,1996,56). This would be consistent with the fact that the fourth child is not depicted, perhaps because the stela was executed before the child was born. Nekhemmut is believed to have been born around year 25 of the reign of Ramesses II. He probably lived into his 70s as there is textual evidence that he became foreman of the crew in years 11-15 of Ramesses III's reign (O.Geneva MAH 12550). Ostrakon Gardiner 57 tells us that he worked on the right side of the crew. Bankes stela no. 10 Penrennut's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 20th dynasty Height: 50 cm Width: 33.5 cm This round topped stela is divided into 2 registers. In the upper register the owner of the stela is depicted in a pose of worship in front of an offering table. He is the servant in the place of truth, Penrennut, true to voice. To his left are two deities. Lord of the Two Lands, Djeserkare, Lord of Appearances, Amenhotep, true of voice, the deified king Amenhotep I, and behind him his mother Ahmose-Nefertari. Khonsu-Thoth, the benevolent god, sits on a shrine or pylon behind the queen. He is depicted as a small naked boy with a side lock of youth and a thumb in his mouth. The hieroglyphic inscription above and around him also mentions Penrennut's (his) brother, the servant Seti, true of voice, his brother, the servant Hori, and his brother Sobekmose. They are not shown in the scene. In the lower register, 3 men and a boy stand worshipping the deities. Two of them are holding large lotus flowers. 11 columns of hieroglyphic inscription from left to right. 8 men are mentioned in the lines: the first man is identified as the true servant Amenemone, true of voice. His son Nebamun, true of voice. His son Qenamun. His son Amenkhau. The inscription near the second man reads: The servant Huy, true of voice. His son Mentpahapy . The third in the procession is his father Nakhtmin . The child is the son of his son Panakhtemheb . Penrennut was a workman at Deir el-Medina. His title was servant in the Place of Truth. He was married to a woman named Tadehnetemheb. His father was called Nakhtmin. Nakhtmin is the third man in the procession and he is followed by Panakhtemheb who is his grandson and therefore the son of Penrennut. The relationship of the first man in the procession, Amenemone, to Penrennut is not stated on the stela. Perhaps he is a workman from the reign of Ramesses IV, who is known to have been the father of the workmen Seti and Hori, both of whom are named in the upper register as Penrennut's brothers. In fact, they were both brothers-in-law of Penrennut (Davies, 1996, 251-252). Other sons of Amenemose are named in the lower register as Nebamun, Qenamun, and Amenkhau. A limestone offering table of Penrennut, "servant in the Place of Truth", is in the collection of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at University College London, UC 14446 . Bankes stela no. 11 Pamedunakht's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone The 1st part of the 20th dynasty Height: 37 cm Width: 26.5 cm This round-topped stela is divided into two sections. In the upper register the deified king Amenhotep I, Lord of the Two Lands, Djeserkare, stands on the right side in front of the Theban Triad, to whom he makes an offering. The father of the triad is identified by the inscription near his head and his headdress as Amun-Re, Lord of Happy Encounter. Behind him standshis consort Mut, who is not mentioned in the inscription. The hieroglyphs above the head of the third deity identify him as Khonsu, the god of the moon, Amun-Re and the child of Mut. In the lower register there are 2 men kneeling in worship. They are surrounded by 12 columns with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Two of the columns in the middle of the stela are damaged. The text was reconstructed by Černý and appears in brackets in the translation: Giving praise to your soul Amun-Re, lord of Happy Encounter, and kissing the earth before your name by the hand of the wab-priest of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of Truth, Pamedunutenakht, true of voice, son of the Servant in the Place of Truth [to the West of Waset] Hay, true of voice, and by the hand of his beloved son Amenhotep-neferenwaset, true of voice. Pamedunakht, son of Hay, is known to us from several sources. A rectangular stela in the British Museum EA 342 shows Pamedunakht, wab-priest, making offerings to the god Ptah. The stela was purchased by the museum from Henry Salt in 1821. Another small stela is in the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. It shows Pamedunakht worshipping Amun-Re as on the Bankes stela. The Glasgow inscription gives Pamedunakht's title as wab -priest of all gods, sculptor of statues in the House of Gold. Černý explains that the House of Gold is an expression for the sculptor's workshop (Černý, 1958, stela 11). Another source of our information about this workman is the rock graffito No. 839 (Davies, 1996, 89) from the Theban necropolis, dated to the first year of Ramesses IV (Černý, 1958, stela 11). Another appearance of this rare name comes from TT2 where Pamedunakht is mentioned - together with 5 other men - as one of the sons of the chief workman Nekhemmut (Bierbrier, 1980,103). 3 of them are known to have been his sons, but the other 3 - including Pamedunakht - are not. Bierbrier suggests that he may have been Nekhemmut's son-in-law (Bierbrier, 1980,104). Bankes stela no. 12 Stela of Tjay and Pentaweret From Deir el-Medina Limestone 20th dynasty Height: 34.5 cm Width: 25 cm According to Černý, the stela once had a round top, but this has been chipped away. The stela bears the image of two gods facing each other. The god standing on the left is identified by the hieroglyphic inscription near his head as Amun-Re, Lord of the Thrones of the Two Lands . The deified queen, mother of Amenhotep I, shakes the sistra in her hands and is identified by the inscription in a cartouche as the Lady of the Two Lands, Ahmose-Nefertari. A column of hieroglyphs is placed behind the queen's back and reads Made by the wab-priest of the Lady of the Two Lands, To, true of voice, son of the scribe Amennakht, true of voice. At the bottom of the stela, below the line indicating the ground on which the gods stand, there is a line of a hieroglyphic inscription. It reads from right to left: Made by the scribe of the House of Eternity, Pentaweret, true of voice. Scattered among the cliffs of the Theban Necropolis are several graffiti bearing the name Tjay. Tjay appears to be a "scribe" and to be a son as well as a father of Amennakht. The sons of the scribe Amennakht are recorded in various graffiti as Tjay, Amennakht, the Draftsman, Harshire, Amenhotep and the scribe Pentaweret (Davies, 1999, 131). Evidence from TT 23 of the royal secretary Tjay has shown that the name To was used as a diminutive form of the name Tjay. Thus, Davies concluded that To, son of the scribe Amennakht, and the scribe Tjay were one and the same person (Davies, 1999, 132). Textual evidence based on two graffiti and one papyrus place him firmly in the years 1153-1134 B.C.: year 29 of Ramesses III (graffito no. 3021), year 4 of Ramesses IV (graffito no. 2609) and year 7 of Ramesses VI (papyrus Turin 1885) (Davies,1999,133). To/Tjay's titles include "Scribe in the Place of Truth West of Thebes", "Royal Scribe in the Place of Truth West of Thebes, and "Scribe of the tomb" (Davies,1999,131). The second dedicator of the stela is named as the scribe Pentaweret, who is known from Theban graffiti No. 785 and No. 2864 as the son of the scribe Amennakht. He was the brother of To. The stela is dedicated to Amun-Re an Ahmose-Nefertari by two brothers, sons of the scribe Amennakht. Bankes stela no. 13 Stela of Harmose From Deir el-Medina Limestone 19th or 20th dynasty Height: 39 cm Width: 25.5 cm This is the smallest stela in the Bankes collection. It is an example of a stela that was appropriated at a later date. The original stela was a simple one with no carvings. It had its decoration and inscriptions painted in black. Only the traces of the winged sun disc at the top and the partially preserved inscription on the upper right part of the stela remain. Černý read and reconstructed it as By the servant in the Place [of Truth] on the West [of Thebes] ..., true of voice, (and) his beloved son ... The stela was later reused. An attempt was made to cut a smaller stela - measuring about 29 by 21 cm - out of the original stela. The piece broke in two and was repaired with plaster. The second stela is decorated in bas-relief. Traces of red and yellow pigments and, according to Černý, gold leaf can still be seen on the face of the god and on the solar disc on his head. The newer stela is dedicated to the falcon-headed Re-Harakhte, the same deity to whom Bankes stelae no. 1 and 5 are dedicated to. Re-Harakhte stands on the left facing an offering table piled with bread and vessels. He is identified by an inscription near his head as Re-Harakhte, the Great God, Lord of Heaven. Another hieroglyphic inscription appears at the bottom of the smaller stela: Made by Harmose and his son Khaemnun. Both names, Harmose and Khaemnun, appear on various objects and in several murals from Deir el- Medina, but it is not possible to identify with certainty a Khaemnun, son of Harmose. Bankes stela no. 14 Pesherenese's stela From Deir el-Medina Limestone 21st dynasty Height: 43.5 cm Width: 28 cm Černý believed that this round topped stela had also been reused. Although the names of the dedicators are dated to the end of the 21st dynasty, the style of the stela belongs to the 18th dynasty. The arrangement of the contents, together with the use of the pair of wedjat eyes and the depiction of a person smelling a lotus, all point to a pre-Amarna style. The stela was probably carved in the 18th dynasty and reused in the 21st dynasty. It has a short hieroglyphic inscription on the curved top. It reads Life to the good god Djeserkare-Amenhotep , the deified king Amenhotep I, who together with his mother Ahmose-Nefertari was credited with the founding of Deir el-Medina, where they enjoyed personal religious cults until the late Ramesside period. Below is a pair of wedjat eyes, a symbol of protection. The round object in the shape of a circle, painted red with a ring around it, sits on a small pedestal resembling the hieroglyphic sign for "m" . The meaning of the symbol is unknown. Below the wedjat -eyes there are 9 short columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions. The first part of the inscription is written in the first 6 columns from left and is read from right: For the soul of the servant in the Place of Truth, Nespautytowe, true of voice, and his son Haemtawer, true of voice. The remaining 3 columns are read from left to right and translated as: The son of his son, Pesherenese, true of voice. Below the inscription there is an offering scene carved in raised relief. Two men, identified as Nespautytowe and his son Haemtawer, are seated on a wide couch and the third man, the grandson Pesherenese, stands facing them on the right. Between them is a small table laden with ox meat and vegetables. Pesherenese adds to the pile by placing another offering on top. Nespautytowe, seated closer to the table, is smelling a lotus flower. His son Haemtawer rests his left arm on his father's shoulder. Below the offering scene there are 3 lines of hieroglyphic text: Offering which the king gives to Osiris, foremost of the Westeners, great god, lord of the necropolis, that he may give invocation-offerings and all good things whereon a god lives to the soul of the servant in the Place of Truth, Nespautytowe, true of voice. Černý tells us that the name of Nespautytowe appears in several rock graffiti and on an ostrakon, and he places the type of name towards the end of the 21st dynasty. The family, especially the grandson Pesherenese, must have lived during the turbulent times and probably witnessed the departure of the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina. They were once thought to have moved within the safer walls of the nearby temple of Medinet Habu, but recent research by Robert Demarée of Leiden University suggests that under Ramesses IX the community took refuge near the temple of Deir el-Bahri, where they built tombs for the priests of Amun, and under a new chief of a new dynasty at Thebes the ruling elite seem to have been ordered to empty the royal tombs and recycle the objects. The current display of the collection of stelae in the former servants' quarters. The Bankes Papyri Collection, British Museum, London A group of late Ramesside papyri collected in Thebes by William John Bankes (1786-1855) on his second trip to Upper Egypt in 1818 has an interesting modern history. I.E.S. Edwards, Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum from 1955 to 1974, learned of the existence of the papyri collection at Kingston Lacy from Prof. P.E. Newberry and wrote to H.J.R. Bankes to offer him access to them. The only problem was that the family did not know where to find them. During Edward's first visit, all the likely areas around the house were searched, but to no avail. On his second visit to Kingston Lacy, the collection was finally located, having been carefully placed between the pages of a large atlas kept in the library. Transliterations and translations of two complete papyri were published by Edwards in 1982 in his journal article The Bankes papyri I and II. The remaining documents in the collection were all fragmentary. In the 1950s and 1990s, all the Bankes papyri were transferred from the National Trust to the British Museum for specialist care, conservation and storage. Hieratic Papyrus Collected in 1818 by William J. Bankes Transferred from the National Trust 1996-2010 Reg. No. 10302, 75019, 75022 © The Trustees of the British Museum In all, there are 16 separate documents, some of which consist of several fragments. They are a particularly exceptional group of manuscripts because they include previously unknown letters by the most famous Ramesside correspondents - the necropolis scribes Dhutmose and Butehamun - and the missing half of a previously published letter, now known to have been written almost certainly by the famous general Payankh. The first half of the letter was published by Jac. Janssen in his Late Ramesside Letters and Communications (pp. 37-39, pl. 23-24). The fragment (now BM papyrus 10302) was later joined with another larger piece (BM papyrus 75019) and four adjacent smaller fragments (75020). In 2006, ten of the Bankes papyri were published by R.J. Demarée in his book The Bankes Late Ramesside Papyri. The papyri were conserved by Bridget Leach of the Museum's Conservation and Scientific Research Department. Sources: 1. Čern‎ý, J. Egyptian Stelae in the Bankes Collection. Oxford, 1958. 2. James, T.G.H. ‘Egyptian Antiquities at Kingston Lacy, Dorset (The Collection of William John Bankes)’. In : KMT 4(4), winter 1993-94, 20-32. 3. Goyon, Jean Claude and Cardin, Christine: Proceedings of the 9th International Congress of Egyptologists, Vol. 1 Peeters Publishers, 2007. 2031 p. 4. 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. 5. Picking up the Pieces by Jonathan Downs | Published in History Today Volume: 57 Issue: 9 2007 6. Baines, John and Jaromír Málek: Atlas of Ancient Egypt Oxford : Andromeda, 1996. 7. Rice, Michael: Who is who in Ancient Egypt London : Routledge, 2002. 8. Booth, Charlotte: People of Ancient Egypt Stroud : Tempus, 2006. 9. Černý, Jaroslav: A community of workmen at Thebes in the Ramesside period Cairo : Institut Francais d'archeologie Orientale du Caire, 1973. 10. Kitchen, K. A.: Ramesside inscriptions : translated and annotated notes and comments Vol. III Oxford : Blackwell, 2001. 11. Jauhiainen, Heidi: "Do not celebrate your feast without your neighbours" : a study of references to feasts and festivals in non-literary documents from Ramesside Period Deir el-Medina. Academic dissertation Helsinki : University of Helsinki, 2009. 416 p. 12. Galan, Jose M.: Seeing darkness. IN : Chronique d'Egypte, Vol. 74, Number 174/1999. p. 18-30. 13. Sweeney, Deborah: Women growing older in Deir el-Medina IN : AH 19, 2006, p. 135-153. 14. Bierbrier, M.L.: Terms of relationship at Deir el-Medina IN : The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 66, 1980. pp. 100-107. 15. Robins, Gay.: Women in Ancient Egypt. London : British Museum Press, 1993. Fig. 50 16.. Private correspondence with Jan Kunst, Amsterdam, Holland 17. http://www.diskdoctor.co.uk/texts/Solar%20Eclipses%20%28Dave%20Smith%29%20-%20Part%201.pdf 18. http://www.diskdoctor.co.uk/texts/Solar%20Eclipses%20%28Dave%20Smith%29%20-%20Part%202.pdf 19. Edwards, I.E.S. : The Bankes papyri I. and II. IN: Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 68, 1982. pp. 126-133. 20. Janssen, Jac. J.: Late Ramesside letters and communications London : British Museum Press, 1991. (Hieratic papyri in the British Museum VI, 1991). 21. Demarée, R.J. : The Bankes Late Ramesside Papyri London : British Museum, 2006. BM Research Publication 155 Further bibliography Back to top

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and a highlight of UCL Museums & Collections. Top of Page Anchor 2 Anchor 1 Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and a highlight of UCL Museum & Collections. The Museum was created in 1892 through the bequest of the writer Amelia Edwards (1831-1892), as a teaching resource of the Department of Egyptian Archaeology and Philology. The uniquely important collection grew considerably thanks to the excavating career of Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) and provides a valuable insight into lives of ancient Egyptian people. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/petrie-museum I would like to express my thanks to the Petrie Museum and its staff, whose time and help have been essential during my visits between 2007 and 2010. The curator Stephen Quirke kindly gave me permission to publish the ostraka picturess on my website, Tracey Golding and Ivor Pridden have been generous with their time and assistance. All images © Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL Photography Lenka Peacock. Deir el-Medina stelae, offering tables and other fragments from the Petrie Museum The New Kingdom stelae very often show the owner in adoration in front of deities. The position of honour seems to be the left, so the deities occupy that area, and may be seated, while the owner stands to their right. Stelae of the 18th dynasty often show only the owner, his wife and his children. Stelae of the Ramesside period may include other family members. The upper parts of offering tables were often carved with the loaves, trussed ducks and vessels, so that the stone-carved images could serve as magical substitutes for the real food offerings. Usually the hieroglyphic offering formula and/or lists of produce are also present. Sometimes there were grooves or channels cut into the surface of the table so that liquids such as water, beer or wine could be poured on to the table. UC14446 From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, around 1295-1186 BC Limestone Offering table of Penrennut, "Servant in the Place of Truth" as the central column of hieroglyphic inscription on the base of the table states. The inscription is flanked by 2 columns of incised vegetation motifs, most probably depicting lotuses. The damaged spout carries remains of incised depictions of a crude cake on one side and possibly two leeks on the other side. Length: 18.5 cm Width: 14.5 cm Depth: 4.75 cm We cannot attribute this offering table to either of the 3 known Penrennuts, who lived at Deir el-Medina and possessed the title "Servant in the Place of Truth" with certainty. Penrennut (i), who lived in the village during the reign of Ramesses IV, was married to a lady called Tadehnetemheb. His father was called Nakhtmin. He appears together with his family on Bankes stela no. 10 - nowadays in the National Trust, UK collection at Kingston Lacy. On the basis of dating the object to the 19th dynasty by the museum curators, it could have belonged to the two earlier workmen, Penrennut (iii) and Penrennut (iv), a cup- bearer, lived at Deir el-Medina during the reign of Ramesses II and Merneptah respectively (Davies,1996,251-252). UC14354 From Deir el-Medina 20th dynasty, about 1160 BC Limestone Offering stela of a person seated to the left of the offering table. A young male on the right side stands in the posture of reverence. Above the male and the offering table there is an inscription, consisting of seven short vertical columns of hieroglyphs (damaged at the right), identifying both men as "3h ikr n R'", "the able spirit of Ra". The seated man is named Djaydjay, the standing man Khnum-[...]. At the top register there is a boat of Ra coloured yellow and red. Traces of red, yellow and blue pigments are surviving on the rest of the stela. Height: 29 cm Width: 22.5 cm UC14229 From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, around 1186-1295 BC Limestone Offering table of Anakht, "chisel-bearer in the Place of Truth' (king's tomb craftsman). Hieroglyphic inscription inscribed around the edges. Only the right half of the object is in the museum. Height: 18 cm Width: max. 12 cm UC14439 Found at Thebes, probably from Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, 1295-1186 BC) Limestone Width: 14 cm Height: 7.5 cm Upper part of a votive stele showing a coiled cobra with double falcon plume on her head. The worshipper's name is illegible in the hieroglyphic inscription, the rest reads "beloved of the goddess Meretseger". UC14379 Possibly from Deir el-Medina Ramesside Period (1295-1069 BC) Limestone Height: 20.5 cm Width: 14.5 cm Fragment from a tomb. In the lower left side of the fragment there is an upper part of a royal head and face with uraeus on the forehead. Above the head there is a cartouche of Ahmes Nefertari, the queen of Ahmose I (1570-1546 BC), the mother of Amenhotep I (1551-1524 BC). UC14599 From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty (1295-1186 BC) Limestone Width: 32 cm Height: 18.5 cm Fragment of a stela from the tomb of Khawey, who had a title "Guardian in the Place of Truth". The stela shows a pair of human heads on the left side and a male head on the right side. There is a hieroglyphic inscription around the head on the right. UC14423 Probably from Deir el-Medina 20th dynasty (1186-1069 BC) Limestone Height: 20 cm Width: 12.7 cm This is a right-hand part of a framed stele of Kaha. It shows the deified Amenhotep I (1551-1524 BC) standing to the left, holding a spear in his left hand. The two cartouches next to him identify him as Amenhotep Djeserkare. To his right there is a priest standing in adoring position. The priest's name is written in a hieroglyphic inscription above his head. UC34325 From Deir el-Medina Ramesside period, (1069BC-1295BC) Limestone The fragment comes from a tomb wall and comprises the remains of three horizontal registers. The background was painted yellow and also remains of reddish and blue pigments are visible. Height: 29.5 cm Width: 23.2 cm From the Mary Broderick bequest Top register: leg and foot in a sandal on the left side, before the words "on the west of Thebes" (hr imnt W3st). Also visible are the remains of the white skirt. Middle register: "... made by (likely with the meaning: son of) one who is greatly favoured by...", [...r.n Hsy aA n ...] [with many thanks to Jan Kunst from the Netherlands for the translation and transliteration] Bottom register: a couple facing to the right, only the heads remain. The man is wearing a cone on his head, the woman - according to the inscription "his wife" (hmt.f) wears a cone on her head and a blue lotus on her forehead. Her name is illegible. UC16551 From Deir el-Medina 18th dynasty, (1550 BC-1292 BC) White limestone with traces of painting (red pectoral and mentat etc). Originally the bust would have had a brightly painted floral collar on the chest, symbolising rebirth and the collars offered by the living at the "Beautiful Feast of the Valley", when they visited the tombs of their ancestors. The lower corner of the "oracular bust" is damaged. Height: 20 cm Width: 10 cm Seventy-five examples of small anthropoid, oracular or ancestral busts have been revealed duringexcavations at Deir el-Medina. They generally do not bear any inscriptions, but some are inscribed for specific individuals. Typically small, they measure from 10 to 25 cm in height (there are 2 known bigger busts, one of which is the bust of Muteminet EA 1198 in the British Museum measuring 51 cm) and are made of limestone or sandstone. We can assume that most were originally painted as remains of pigment on some are evident. The gender of the most of the busts is open to question. The figures are referred to as 'ancestor busts'. It is thought that they were placed in the small shrine areas which seemed to form part of private homes , and played a part in the private devotions of the family. Five busts were found in houses at Deir el-Medina, where they could have been placed in wall niches in the first and second rooms. The wall niches are comparable in size, so this seems probable. Rather than representing anyone in particular, the busts anonymous nature suggests that they represent all the ancestors whom the family might wish to commemorate. Another theory is that they represent "the able spirit" of those, who had been authoritative in life, by inference, the older members of the community. In troubled times people turned to them for help, i.e. to a parent still remembered, not to an ancestor of long ago. Some of these must have been older women. The busts could have been transported from house to tomb or chapel where identification, if desired, could be supplied by the inscribed stelae, offering tables, or naos-shrine. As the "3h ikr", they carry on the traditions associated with 3h since the Old Kingdom, especially in the requirement for feeding and in its function as the 3h-statue resting within the 3ht-shrine (Friedman, p. 97). The ancestor busts are mentioned in the Book of the Dead under spell 151, "the spell of the head of mysteries". It reads: " hail to you whose face is kindly...your head will never be taken away". Similar objects have been found at fourteen other sites from the central Delta to the Third Cataract. They were found in or near houses as well as in tombs and temples. Whether the context was domestic or religious we cannot be sure, but it is understood that for the worshiper the ancestor busts conjured up memories of a deceased relative. Ancestor bust-shaped amulets occur as jewelry during the New Kingdom. UC14228 From Deir el-Medina 20th dynasty, (1186BC-1069BC) Limestone with traces of pigment The funerary stela was dedicated by Thutmose. He is depicted on the left side, seated on a chair and holding a lotus to his nose. Three columns of hieroglyphs above his head read from right to left: "Ax jqr n Ra DHwtjj-ms = The effective akh of Ra, Thutmose.” He faces his brother who stands opposite him and pours a libation with his right hand. In his left hand he holds a censer. The brother is named in the remaining three columns, read from left to right, as "ir.n sn=f sS pA-irii n st mAa.t = Made by his brother, the scribe Pairy of the Place of Truth" . They are both likely to be members of the Deir el-Medina workforce. At the top of the stela there is a lunette, broken away on both sides. Wedjat eyes, one now missing, used to flank the horizon above the inscription. Height: 22.4 cm Width: 13.3 cm Thutmose is identified as "ax iqr n Ra" , "the able/effective spirit of Ra". The akh -spirits were the blessed dead, those who had attained a seat in the sun-bark of the god Ra. Their magical powers protected them from the dangers of the afterlife. They could also use them for or against the dead and the living. To become an akh (plural akhu) one had to know the magic spells, perform funerary rites and have the gods, especially Ra, intervene on one's behalf. Over 50 stelae from Deir el-Medina testify to the existence of household cults devoted to deceased relatives who had become akhu. The spirits could be dangerous if offended, and the offerings to the akhu were both propitiatory and reverential. Deborah Sweeney re-examined the stela in her article The akh iqer Stela University College London 14228 Reconsidered - a Sign of Gratitude? (Sweeney,2020, pp. 257-275) . She argues that one possible donor might have been Merysekhmet (iii), who was also known as Payiri, and that this donation would result in this so far disreputable member of the Deir el-Medina workforce being seen in a fresh and favourable light. UC14545 Stela of Irynefer 19th dynasty From Deir el-Medina, tomb 290 Limestone The lower part of this round-topped stela is missing. The upper part displays remains of a raised relief of the god Ptah shown from the front. At the bottom of the right side of the stela there is a remainder of a depiction of a man with his arms raised in adoration - his head facing to the left and his hands survived. The left bottom side shows remains of a heaped offering table. The rest of the stela is filled with 5 columns of hieroglyphic inscription, where the worshipper is identified as Irynefer, servant in the Place of Truth. Height: 22 cm Width: 20.5 cm UC14574 Probably from Deir el-Medina Pyramidion of Nebamun 19th dynasty (1295-1186 BC) Limestone Of the 4 sides of this pyramidion, 3 sides are inscribed. Below is the depiction of a man with intricate hairstyle shown in the pose of adoration with his arms raised. He wears a pleated kilt. The hieroglyphic inscription mentions name of Nebamun. Height: 18.5 cm Width: 15 cm Sources: 1. Museum's own labels 2. Museum's website at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture/petrie-museum 3. 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. 4. Trope, Betsy Teasley: Excavating Egypt : Great discoveries from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London Atlanta : Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, 2005. 4. Friedman, Florence: Meaning of some anthropoid busts from Deir el-Medina IN : The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 71 (1985), pp. 82-97. 5. Sweeney, Deborah: The akh iqer Stela University College London 14228 Reconsidered - a Sign of Gratitude? IN : Text-Bild-Objekte im archäologischen Kontext : Feschrift für Susanne Bickel. Hamburg : Widmaier Verlag, 2020. pp. 257-275. Figured ostraka at the Petrie Museum The Petrie Museum collection of figured ostraka comes in its major part from purchases Flinders Petrie made in Egypt, mainly in the Theban area. The places of origin of these ostraka and the dates of their purchase were not recorded and are still to be researched. The fact, that most of them are just drawings lacking inscriptions, means that it is more difficult to establish their place of origin, than it is for the hieratic ostraka, where the names of people involved in transactions are recorded and might be known to us from other sources. But most figured ostraka are probably from Thebes, specifically from Deir el-Medina, or from places, where the Deir el-Medina artisans worked. Possible future analysis and study of the limestone structure could help in locating more accurately their places of origin. The fact, that authenticity of some of the figured ostraka in the museums around the world is debatable and some of the pieces could be modern forgeries, has been recognised and written about. To my knowledge none of the Petrie ostraka have been so far identified as possibly being executed in modern Egypt rather than in ancient Egypt. The collection consists of drawings in black, or in black and red mineral based pigments. The drawings are executed on small pieces of limestone or terracotta sherds. They illustrate every stage from an apprentice's first attempts to the most elaborate draughtsmanship. Some ostraka show the underlying sketch in red ink. Themes of the ostraka vary from gods and royal personages to ordinary men and women, animals represented by mammals, birds, insect and reptiles and even architectural and furniture elements, boats and individual hieroglyphs. Some ostraka were clearly the practise pieces of pupils, whose work was subsequently corrected by their teachers. These pieces allow us to learn their techniques. Some ostraka were products of the moment and often bear themes and motives that do not appear in official art. They are unique treasures of original works of art. As freedom is allowed to the artist, these glimpses illustrate fascinating aspects of the ancient Egyptian culture and life. I would like to express my thanks to the Petrie Museum and its staff, whose time and help has been essential. The curator Stephen Quirke kindly gave me permission to publish the ostraka images on my web site, Tracey Golding and Ivor Pridden have been generous with their time and assistance. © Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL Photography Lenka Peacock. The text was composed by Lenka Peacock mainly based on divisions and descriptions of Anthea Page's black & white publication of 1983 with additional sources. UC33221 Upper part of Osiris or a king 19th dynasty (?) Possibly from Deir el-Medina or Abydos Limestone Black pigment Height: 11.7 cm Width: 9 cm Upper part of a king or Osiris facing to the left. The figure wears the Atef crown (effectively a "white crown" with plume on either side). A large uraeus is attached to the crown. His eye is drawn frontally, the eyebrow and the cosmetic line are extended across the temple as parallel lines. Both the ear and the nose are large. There is a suggestion (in: Calverley, A.: The temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, vol. IV. Chicago, 1958, pl. 18) that, the large aquiline nose indicates a portrait of Seti I, Ramesses II or Merneptah. All those pharaohs were portrayed with a nose like that, which was in contrast to the straight noses of the 18th dynasty predecessors. For this reason it was suggested that the ostrakon could be a student copy from a temple relief or from a painting from the temple of Seti I at Abydos. The figure wears a false beard. His garment is tight fitting and has a narrow collar. His hands are holding three objects: the closest one to the figure is "hk3" sceptre - the crook symbolizing the government, the middle one is "w3s" sceptre - whose primarily function in funerary context was to ensure the continued welfare of the deceased, and the flail or "nekhakha" on the left. All three of them are prominent items in royal regalia. Before the flail became part of royal regalia, it was associated primarily with the god Osiris. W.H. Peck argues (Peck,1985,15) that the shape and curvature of the false beard tends to suggest a god rather than a king. The kings' beards tend to be straighter and squared-off at the end whereas the beards of gods are curved and rounded, which he points out is the case here. UC33256 Osiris New Kingdom Limestone Black pigment Figure of a seated god Osiris facing to the right. He wear the atef crown and a false beard, a divine attribute of the gods. He sits on a throne, which stands on a raised platform. Behind the figure of Osiris, there is the "imiut" fetish, consisting of a decapitated animal skin hanging at the top of a pole, which is a symbol of Anubis, who is associated with the mummification process linked to Osiris. At the right top corner there are three columns of a hieroglyphic inscription. William Peck (Peck,1985,15) points out that the condition and preservation of this piece make it difficult to decide whether the seated Osiris is related to the platform or whether the elements are parts of two unrelated drawings. Height: 9.2 cm Width: 11.3 cm UC33249 Horus New Kingdom Limestone Drawing of a falcon depicting the god Horus facing to the right and standing on a base line. There are traces of a crown on his head and a flail, the royal insignia, at his side. Three serpents stand in front of him. Black pigment Height: 10 cm Width: 12 cm UC33195 Ptah New Kingdom Limestone Black ink Figure of a standing god Ptah facing right. He is placed within a shrine. The sloping pedestal on which the god stands may represent the mound of creation or the craftsman's level and the hieroglyphic symbol for truth (maat). He is depicted as a mummiform figure with his feet together and with his hands protruding from his tightly wrapped shroud which is his conventionalized characteristic. He holds the `nh-sign in his right hand, and w3s-sceptre and dd-pillar in his left hand. He wears a close fitting skull cap. His beard is straight rather than the usual curved divine beard found on other Egyptian gods. He wears a large tassel at the rear of his garment. The god Ptah's original cult association seems to have been with craftsmen. He was revered at Deir el-Medina. Height: 13.1 cm Width: 10.1 cm UC33192 Ptah Ramesside Period Limestone Black pigment with traces of underlying sketch in red pigment Figure of a seated god Ptah facing towards right. He wears a tight fitting cap, with his large ear protruding, and a long false beard which curls up towards the end. His cloak is also tight fitting. The collar is drawn more carefully than in the ostrakon above. Anthea Page identifies the object, hanging at the back of the collar, as a tassel (Page,1983,3), while William Peck argues, it is probably a schematic rendering of the menat counterpoise (Peck,1996,15). Both hands, placed one above the other, protrude from the garment and hold a dd-pillar and was-sceptre. The drawing breaks off at this point and just above the figure's knees. The top of the seat that the god sits upon is depicted underneath the figure. Height: 11.1 cm Width: 7.8 cm UC33190 Lion-headed goddess and a worshipping figure New Kingdom, around 1550-1350 BC Limestone (more dense) Red pigment Standing figure of a goddess, who is depicted as a lion-headed woman, with a sun disc and uraeus on her head. Her face is turned to the right towards a worshipping figure in a elaborate pleated gown, typical of the late New Kingdom. The worshippers hands are in a gesture of adoration. The goddess wears tight fitting dress with straps over her shoulder. She holds a staff or sceptre in her left hand. Both the Museum catalogue and Anthea Page (Page,1983, p. 63) identify the goddess as Sekhmet, William Peck (Peck,1985,15) disputes the identification on the grounds that there is no further indication that it is Sekhmet. He points out the fact that there are some 30 lion-goddesses listed among the ancient Egyptian gods and thus the figure here could also be Bastet, Mut or Tefnut, among others, who are shown as lion-headed. Height: 13.6 cm Width: 11.7 cm UC33196 Thoth New Kingdom Potsherd Red pigment The upper part of the god Thoth depicted as an ibis-headed man. He stands inside a shrine and faces to the right. His head is drawn in a profile, his upper torso is drawn from the front. He wears a moon and disc on his head. His left hand holds "w3s" sceptre. There are very faint traces of an hieroglyphic inscription - 3 columns to the right of the figure and 2 columns behind him. The inscription was scraped off in the past and cannot be read. Height: 10.1 cm Width: 9.7 cm UC33191 Thoth New Kingdom Limestone Black ink The upper part of a standing figure of the god Thoth who is depicted as an ibis-headed man facing right. The lunar disk and crescent on his head symbolize the moon's phases. He wears a tripartite wig. His shoulders are drawn frontally. He wears a short skirt with a broad band across his body and over his left shoulder. Height: 18.7 cm Width: 10.6 cm UC33225 Amun New Kingdom Limestone Black ink Drawing of a head of a ram probably representing the god Amun. He is facing towards right. His large horns curve around his ears. He has got a serpent drawn on top of his head. Height: 7 cm Width: 7.7 cm UC33226 Ram New Kingdom Black ink Potsherd Drawing of the head and the forepart of a kneeling ram facing right. It has got long wavy horns. There are traces of faint hieratic inscriptions, perhaps reading as "may you be divine in..." Height: 5.2 cm Width: 8.4 cm UC33224 Ram New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Black pigment Potsherd Drawing of a ram facing to the right. He has got long horizontal horns on his head. There is a faint base line and two horizontal lines, one behind the ram, the other one, shorter, at the top of his head, starting in the middle of the horns. It was suggested that the line might represent uraeus. The drawing might be a representation of the god Khnum. Height: 6.8 cm Width: 8 cm UC33229 Jackal lying on winged disk New Kingdom Potsherd Black ink Drawing of a jackal lying on top of a large pair of wings with solar disk and uraeus, facing right. The wings of a hawk are symbolizing Horus. Since Horus was associated with the king, the winged disk came to have both royal and protective significance, as well as representing the heavens through which the sun moved. Height: 11.3 cm Width: 10.4 cm UC33812 Meretseger New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black ink Drawing of a serpent - a rearing cobra - in front of an offering table/vase/metal stand. The hood of the cobra is dilated and patterned. The base line is indicated. Meretseger was the goddess of the pyramidal peak which lies above the Theban necropolis. Her usual name was "she who loves silence". She was primarily worshipped by the workmen of Deir el-Medina. The stand resembles metal stands for vases found in Theban tombs. This form of stand appears on coffins, generally under the offering table depiction. Height: 7.3 cm Width: 9.4 cm UC33198 Figure of Bes New Kingdom, 1550-1069 BC Limestone with traces of several different pigments The figure of the god Bes is depicted in his usual frontal squatting pose. His arms are outstretched, each upturned hand is holding a shallow bowl. The image is outlined in black, the details are painted in several colours. Bes is usually depicted naked, but here he wears a short kilt with a long wide ribbon in the front and red patterned garment around his shoulders. A plumed headdress adorns his head. A pair of large wings is depicted on his back reaching all the way to the ground. Bes was one of the most popular and widespread deities in ancient Egypt. He was associated with sexuality and childbirth as protector of the family. Remains of wall paintings depicting Bes were discovered at Deir el-Medina during excavations. This ostrakon could have had the function of a protector of family members and could have been placed within the household shrine. The ostrakon was conserved at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Height: 11.7 cm Width: 11.3 cm UC33194 Figure of Isis New Kingdom, 1550-1069 BC Limestone The goddess is depicted in kneeling position. Both her arms are outstretched with large wings spread below them. Each of her hands holds a big bunch of lotuses. The hieroglyphic sign of a throne on top of her head indicates her name. The pose of a kite hovering over the deceased is typical of her protective role in the afterlife. Preliminary outlines and the artist's grid are visible in red, the final drawing being executed in black pigment. Height: 11.4 cm Width: 7.3 cm UC33193 Figure of Hathor New Kingdom, 1550-1069 BC Chert Recto Hathor is depicted as a piebald cow standing on a sledge. Her eye is drawn in the form of wedjat eye, a symbol for strength and protection. She is wearing menat necklace, a symbol closely associated with her. It was of protective nature and used to be worn for good fortune. Hathor is smelling a large lotus blossom that curves in front of her. There are 5 lotus plants below her body. Verso There are 3 columns of a hieroglyphic inscription on the back of the ostrakon, written in black ink. The columns are read from right to left, the signs from top to bottom: "Hathor, Lady of the Sky, Mistress of all gods. Made by the scribe Twt, true of voice, the excellent scribe Ptnw". UC33199 Bovine-deity Limestone Black ink The bull or a cow is standing and facing right. There is a sun-disk between his/her horns. The disk is drawn frontally. Smudged beneath the body. The drawing is very crude and it is difficult to establish which bovine-deity is represented here. Height: 11.3 cm Width: 14.4 cm Ostraka displaying motives of royal figures UC33210 Torso of a king New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1295-1069 BC Limestone Drawing in black ink, there are traces of red pigment on the crown and in front of the figure Drawing of the upper part of a king's torso. He faces to the right, his right arm is raised horizontally at the shoulder level, perhaps in the gesture of making an offering. His eye and shoulders are drawn frontally. He wears an elaborate composite crown, consisting of White crown, flanked by twin plumes, sitting on top of the Red crown, encircled by uraei with disks on their foreheads. The whole Double Crown, which could also be seen as Atef Crown, is flanked with horizontal pair of ram's horns. They end in large uraei, surmounted with sun disks. The king's head is also adorned with a short wig, uraeus on his forehead and a false beard on his chin. He wears a broad collar and a pleated skirt with a wide pleated tie around his waist and over his shoulder. The drawing is skillfully executed and could be a student copy of a temple relief or a craftsman's draft for a temple relief. Height: 13.6 cm Width: 9 cm UC33258 Queen Ahmose-Nefertari Possibly from Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, 1295-1186 BC Limestone Black ink with traces of the preliminary sketch in red Upper part of a figure of Queen Ahmose-Nefertari facing left. She wears a long tripartite wig and the Vulture headdress. Dating of the ostrakon takes into consideration the fact that Queen Ahmose-Nefertari was represented as wearing the "Vulture" headdress after she was deified in the Ramesside Period. Height: 11.8 cm Width: 13.5 cm UC33260 King making offering to Min-Amun Possibly from Deir el-Medina or Koptos 19th dynasty of later date - possibly Ptolemaic Limestone Red pigment Drawing of a king making an offering of two pots to Min-Amun. The king wears the red crown of Lower Egypt and a short skirt with pleats and a central panel. Min-Amun stands on the right on a podium with a sloping front. He is represented in mummiform. His figure is faint, while the figure of the king and the podium underneath Min-Amun's feet are coloured in. Between the two figures there is an offering table with a cup and possibly two bull's heads on it. There are two vertical columns of hieroglyphic inscriptions at the top, reading Min-Amun, Mn. The horizontal line at the bottom reads "htp-di-nsw Mn-Imn", meaning "The offering which the king gives to Min-Amun". The style of the drawing shows signs of Ptolemaic style. It could originate from Koptos, where the local fertility god Min was worshipped and where Flinders Petrie excavated the temple of Min. Height: 18.7 cm Width: 16.8 cm UC33219 Head of a king New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1295-1069 BC Limestone Drawing in black ink with the preliminary sketch in red. Drawing of a left-ward facing profile of a head of a pharaoh. The eye and shoulders are drawn frontally. The lower part of the crown is visible, also traces of a wide collar. Height: 8.1 cm Length: 10.6 cm UC33204 Pharaoh smiting a captive New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1295-1069 BC Limestone Black ink Drawing of a Pharaoh smiting a fleeing captive. Both figures face toward the right. The king holds a club in his right hand. He holds his captive's throat with his left hand. The king wears a wig, uraeus and a long pleated skirt. There are traces of a canopy over the figure of the king. Height: 13 cm Width: 11 cm UC33208 Summary drawings 19th dynasty, 1295-1186 BC Potsherd Drawings in black ink on both sides of the ostrakon of stick-like figures Concave side: three registers of figures. Top register: a seated god or king in front of an offering table. A royal figure stands on the right side of the table, holding out an offering in his right hand and an 'nh-sign in his left. Smaller figures, mainly obliterated, follow behind him. Middle register: two seated figures with five standing figures in front of them. Each one stands in a different pose, two figures on the right hold bows. Bottom register: four men standing in different poses, the two on the right are holding bows. Convex side: two registers of figures but barely recognisable. Top register: male figure in a short kilt walking toward the right. Little trace of the other figures. Height: 14 cm Width: 10.5 cm William Peck (Peck,1985,16) suggests this is a part of the process by which the artist planned the layout of a large wall decoration. This short-hand notation seems suitable for this step in the development of a composition, and as such gives valuable insight into the working processes of the ancient artist. Ostraka displaying motives of men UC33211 Head of a man New Kingdom, 1550-1069 BC Limestone An informal drawing in black ink of a man in profile with long wavy hair and stubble. In contrast to these he has got a lotus flower attached to his forehead and an incense cone atop his head, both marking special occasion. A pattern of a knot or another element of clothing is drawn in red across his temple. I tried to link the Egyptian word for knot to a name from Deir el-Medina, but failed. It could have been connected to a nickname, in which case it would be even more difficult to establish the link. Or indeed, it can be completely disconnected and the red drawing is just a doodle. The stubble has been traditionally interpreted in the Egyptological literature as a sign of mourning. But here it could be a sign of realism or of a caricature, perhaps of a man who had one party too many. Height: 10.8 cm Width: 7.3 cm UC15947 Head of a noble 20th dynasty? (1186-1069 BC) From Thebes. Left behind by students of a school of ancient artists in Ramesseum's mud brick magazines. Marked "Petrie 2" on its label. Potsherd Black ink Head and a shoulder of a noble drawn in profile facing left. He wears a short wig brought behind his ears. He has got a short square beard. His eye is drawn frontally. The line of his nose is similar to profiles on portraits of the Ramesside kings. This is probably a trial piece for paintings in royal tombs or tombs of private individuals from the Theban necropolis. Height: 8.8 cm Width: 7.6 cm UC33244 Head of a man New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black ink and red pigment Leftward-facing profile of a balding male's head. He wears a collar with lines radiating from his neck. His facial features are no longer visible. It is possible that this is a trial piece for a painting in a Theban tomb, representing a member of a family or a deceased person. The areas around the eye and the mouth could have been erased as the red wash used for the face and the top of the head seems to be missing there. Height: 10.3 cm Width: 9.5 cm UC33238 Kneeling man New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Potsherd Black ink Drawing of a headless kneeling man facing to the left. He kneels on his left leg and sits on the heel of his foot. His right leg is drawn up towards his body. He faces an offering table bearing four circular loaves of bread and a lotus flower. The man wears a wide-sleeved garment. His arms are raised in adoration. There could have been a figure of a deity behind the offering table, the remaining line could be the god's leg. The base line is indicated. Marked in black ink "o" below the base line. This type of scene frequently appears on Deir el-Medina votive stelae and in the tomb decoration. If the line of the leg are remains of a mummiform god, both Osiris and Ptah could have stood behind the offering table. Height: 11.3 cm Width: 13 cm UC33237 Standing man New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Potsherd Black ink Drawing of a standing figure of a headless man facing right. He wears a wraparound short kilt. His left leg is drawn advanced, his right arm is held across his chest in an upright position, his left arm is down holding a long object, possibly a bouquet as an offering. This ostrakon might be a trial piece for a painting in an offering scene on a tomb wall. Treated at the Institute of Archaeology. Height: 12.7 cm Width: 11.1 cm UC33239 Seated man before an offering table New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Possibly from Abydos? Limestone Black ink Drawing of a seated man in front of an offering table. He sits on a low-backed, block throne and faces right. The small table before him is laden with food offerings: conical and round loaves of bread and birds. Behind the seated man stands another figure. Above the figures there is an wd3t-eye, probably one of a pair, as the surface of the whole right top corner is flaked off. Beneath the base line of the drawing there are traces of another unidentified drawing. The drawing represents a typical funerary offering scene with the deceased seated and his relative in attendance. Perhaps this is a miniature stela, that could have come from a workmen's tomb at Deir el-Medina. Height: 7.2 cm Width: 6 cm UC2227 Man carrying bundles 20th dynasty, 1186-1069 BC Found at Thebes in the brick chamber north of the pylon of Tuthmosis IV Potsherd Black ink Drawing of a man, possibly a peasant, carrying a bundle in his right hand at his side and another one on a long stick held over his shoulder with his left hand. He walks towards the right, his left leg is advanced. His head is drawn in profile. His hair is straight. He wears a short skirt tied around his waist and a short-sleeved top. Height: 21.3 cm Width: 18.5 cm UC33214 front Two men walking New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black ink, traces of red pigment on upper arm of the man on the right and in the bottom right corner of the ostrakon Drawing on a squared-off piece of a limestone of two men walking facing right, holding staffs in their left hands. Both wear short pleated skirts. UC33214 back One line of a vertical cursive inscription The 1st sign reads ht, the 2nd and the 5th are probably the same hieroglyph representing the male figure. The 3rd sign is damaged, the 4th is not decipherable. The last sign is the sun-disk. The inscription can be interpreted as a name, the possible readings could be Ra-khet or Khet-su. Height: 6 cm Width: 7.3 cm UC33241 Face of a man Potsherd Black ink Trial piece with various figures. From top left to right: 1. seated figure of a child with sidelock, facing right, with left hand held forward and right hand at its side. 2. face of a man with a square beard and large ears. The face is drawn frontally 3. outline of an oracular bust facing toward right Bottom left to right: 4. kneeling figure wearing a heavy wig, and facing right 5. ibis facing right, and before it two parallel lines Height: 8.1 cm Width: 10.2 cm UC33202 Man and bull New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Red and black pigment Drawing of a pied bull, whose head is missing, walking to the right, followed by a herdsman with a feather on his head. The man, who is disproportionately small, holds a stick in his right hand and a piece of rope over the left arm. He wears a short kilt. The base line is indicated. Traces of red pigment from the preliminary sketch, also there is red pigment on bull's patches. The surface of the ostrakon is very fragile and fragmentary. It has been treated in the Institute of Archaeology. Height: 8.8 cm Width: 9.4 cm These drawings seem to be practice work of an apprentice who was employed in the tomb or temple wall decorating. They all would have been motifs familiar to the ancient Egyptian artist. The seated figure of a child, was used as determinative in "be young" and "child" [Gardiner's A17]. The face of a man was used as ideogram of Hr "face" [Gardiner's D2]. The kneeling figure is similar in posture to the hieroglyphic sign of a noble squatting with a flagellum, used as determinative for revered persons [Gardiner's A52]. The sacred ibis was used as determinative in hb "ibis" and as determinative in Dhwty "Thoth" [Gardiner's G26]. Ostraka displaying motives of women and children UC15946 Girl with a monkey Ramesside Period, 1292-1069 BC Potsherd From the Ramesseum Drawing of a girl in profile from her shoulder up. She wears a wig, 2 lotuses and an incense cone on her head. A monkey faces the girl and reaches up to her nose with its paw. It has been suggested the monkey was added at a later stage in a clumsier style to turn the drawing from an art school into a joke by a fellow student (Janssen,1989,23-24). Stephen Quirke suggested the ostrakon could have served as a caricature of the Opening of the Mouth ritual (Trope,2005,151). The ostrakon was conserved at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. Height: 9.4 cm Length: 8.4 cm UC33223 Standing girl Ramesside period, 1295-1069 BC Limestone Black ink Drawing of a standing girl facing right. She wears a sidelock of youth and a diaphanous gown. Her legs and body are well rounded. Her pubic triangle is indicated. Her left hand is raised to her forehead, and holds a cup in her right hand. Height: 12.4 cm Width: 10.8 cm UC33217 Head and shoulders of a child New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black and red ink Head and shoulders of a female child, with her fingers held to her mouth. She wears a braided sidelock of youth with a hair-ring keeping it in order, streamers down the back of her head, and a large round ear-stud decorated with a cross. Lines on her upper arm may indicate a pleated loose piece of garment. The drawing is of a noble or royal child. The ear-studs were a fashion introduced during Amarna Period. The drawing is carefully executed (Page,1983,35). Height: 3.2 cm Width: 5 cm Ostraka displaying motives of birds UC33227 Pintail duck 19th dynasty? Marked from Deir el-Bahari on the back Limestone Drawing of a pintail duck in flight facing right. The body and wings are drawn in outline, the head is filled in with black ink. Pintail ducks were the most common kind of duck in ancient Egypt. They were very frequently depicted on temple and tomb walls. When depicted in flight they are also a hieroglyphic sign representing the ideogram "pa" meaning "to fly" . The drawing could be a trial piece of a hieroglyph, but it can also be a trial piece for a larger scene. Height: 10 cm Width: 5.6 cm UC33216 Head of an owl New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Potsherd Black ink Frontal drawing of a head of an owl, which most probably represents an artist's study of a hieroglyphic sign "m" . There are several more drawings representing hieroglyphs - a loaf of bread at the left top corner representing phonetic "t" , the back of a viper representing "f" and a part of a feather representing "sw" . Height: 5.3 cm Width: 5.7 cm UC33207 Goose New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Red pigment Outline sketch of a goose facing right. Its neck is extended and its head is bent to the ground as if pecking the ground. The base line is indicated. The goose was frequently depicted on temple and tomb walls. It is also a hieroglyphic sign for semi-phonetic "gb" and determinative for "gb"-goose. This could have been a preliminary sketch as a draft for an agricultural scene. Height: 10.1 cm Width: 12.8 cm UC33230 Curlew ? New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Potsherd Black pigment Drawing of a standing bird, facing right. It has a long narrow beak, large round eye and thin legs. The feathers are marked with streaks. This sketch has been tentatively identified by Anthea Page as a Senegal stone curlew, a modern resident of both the Nile Delta and Upper Egypt. However, this species of wading bird is not known elsewhere in ancient Egyptian iconography (see, for example, P.F. Houlihan, The Birds of Ancient Egypt [Cairo, 1988]). On the other hand, W.H. Peck has suggested that this figure may depict a quail chick, which does seem a far more plausible identification. If so, this ostrakon would then most likely be a practice piece of a standard hieroglyphic sign. Height: 13.9 cm Length: 13.7 cm The Battlefield Palette British Museum , London, EA 20791 Perhaps from Abydos Late Predynastic period, around 3150 BC Length: 28 cm Width: 20 cm UC33222 Vulture Possibly Ramesside Period, 1295-1069 BC Limestone Black pigment Drawing of a large vulture facing right, with its neck out stretched, head down, and with its wings slightly spread. The bird appears to be grasping prey in its talons and beak. The outline of the bird is represented in black ink; the prey is filled in with reddish-brown wash, perhaps to imitate blood. This detail is quite extraordinary. Large vultures are only rarely portrayed in Egyptian art feeding (see, for example, P.F. Houlihan, The Birds of Ancient Egypt [Cairo, 1988]). The only other instance of it, which immediately comes to mind, is on the famous Late Predynastic (Naqada III) "Battlefield Palette," now in the British Museum, London pictured on the left). It is, therefore, tempting to see this as a work of spontaneity, executed by a draughtsman who had witnessed this activity. The bird can be identified as either the Griffin Vulture or the more powerful Lappet-faced Vulture. In ancient Egypt, vultures were common as hieroglyphic signs: determinative for nrt (vulture), and a phonetic value for Mwt . A large vulture also represented the goddess Nekhbet of El-Kab. Height: 9.8 cm Length: 11.8 cm Ostraka displaying motives of mammals UC33200 Fighting bulls New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black pigment Drawing of two bulls facing each other. Their heads are down and their horns are interlocked. The ground is indicated by a line. Above the bull on the right side, there is a man facing left, striding out, his right arm raised. He wears a short kilt. His head is missing. Height: 13.1 cm Width: 16 cm UC33209 Leaping bull and a duck Late 18th dynasty, Amarna Period Potsherd Black ink Lively drawing of a young bull leaping towards the right. A pintail duck is flying above, also facing to the right. Similar motives were found at palaces at Amarna and at Malqata. Height: 6.1 cm Width: 12 cm UC33206 Head of a donkey and Amun New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Potsherd Black ink A drawing of a donkey's head facing left. One pair of ears is long and pointed, then lower at the back of the head there is another ear added. Below the donkey's head there are several more motives: two wide horizontal lines joined together by a herringbone design, upper part of a figure of the god Amun with a long beard and wearing the crown with double plumes and holding a w3s-sceptre. In front of the donkey there is a fragment of a possible bowl, again with a herringbone design. The herringbone design was used to show the veining seen in travertine (Egyptian alabaster). William Peck suggests the drawing to be that of a horned animal with the ear correctly placed at the back of the head. The zigzag line at the top of the head might indicate horn sockets but the horns are badly resolved. It could be a head of bubalis (an antelope). Donkeys' muzzles are usually depicted with their characteristic thickness (Peck,1985,16). The identification is supported by a parallel from the Ashmolean Museum , Oxford: Head of bubalis (antelope) No. 1938.913, where the head is executed in a strikingly similar way but the horns are those of an antelope (image on the right). Height: 13.5 cm Width: 13.9 cm Photograph by Su Bayfield UC26937 Galloping horse New Kingdom, dynasty 18th until dynasty 19th, 1550-1186 BC Potsherd Red and black pigment Figure of a galloping horse, facing left. The horse is painted with red pigment. The legs of the animal are missing. Behind the horse there is a drawing in black of part of a chariot and reins that lead the horse. Height: 10.7 cm Width: 16.5 cm UC33215 Lion Possibly Ramesside Period Limestone Red and black pigment Verso: drawing of a lion facing right, waiting to strike. He crouches on his front legs with his head down. A ground line is indicated. Above the lion's body is the figure of a man with his leg advanced and his arms raised as if in a hunting position. W.H. Pecks suggests that rather than the lion crouched to pounce, this lion seems to be in the act of expiring. The line from his mouth might be an indication of the tongue extended in death. Recto: drawing of a lion striding out towards right, with his head up and his mouth open. There is some evidence that lions were tamed in ancient Egypt. New Kingdom pharaohs are often shown in the company of a docile lion. They are portrayed lying beside the throne or running along the royal horses and chariots. These scenes might bear symbolic significance and emphasise the strength of the king, but the evidence shows lions were serviceable creatures to the ancient Egyptians. During the New Kingdom the Theban tomb walls were decorated with exotic and strange animals and the artisans from Deir el-Medina shared the appreciation of this taste for unusual and reflected it in skillful sketches, the two examples of which we can see here. Height: 16.1 cm Width: 12.3 cm Ostraka displaying motives of beetles and insects UC35811 Scarab beetle and hieroglyphs New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black ink Drawing of the top side of a scarab beetle (Scarabeus sacer) with its body, legs and head competently drawn. A vertical column of hieroglyphs runs down the right side of the ostrakon. The inscription reads: (ntr) nfr nb t3wy nb ir ht = Good (god), lord of the two lands, lord who makes everything Only the nefer sign is drawn and that not enough space is left for the ntr sign to be added in the inscription, but it is assumed that the sign should have been present as it would form a common epithet of kings - ntr nfr = good god (Page,1983,52). The brackets are present to indicate the addition to the translation. Height: 7.1 cm Width: 5.3 cm UC33231 Wasp or a bee and a grasshopper New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Red pigment Verso: drawing in red pigment of a wasp or a bee on the left and a grasshopper on the right. The left image is drawn in greater detail. The body is striped, there are four legs with feet, long antennae, and a pair of wings. The image of the grasshopper is fainter and more schematically drawn. Only the body and the long bent leg are depicted. Recto: a drawing of another grasshopper in red pigment. Again schematically drawn with antennae, long bent leg and the long closed wings. Although there is no convincing evidence that the ancient Egyptians ate grasshoppers, a custom practiced by many other cultures, it is not excluded that they might have been regarded as a food item (Houlihan,1996,193). Height: 16.4 cm Width: 13.1 cm Ostraka displaying motives of reptiles UC33232 Crocodile New Kingdom, dynasty 18th until dynasty 19th, 1550-1186 BC Potsherd Black pigment Drawing of a tail and back leg of a crocodile. The artist tried to express some of the characteristics of the crocodile, such as the dorsal plates and the back foot. The drawing could either be part of a representation of the god Sobek who manifested himself either as a human with a crocodile head or completely in animal form, or it may have been a draft intended to be used in the decoration of a tomb wall, as the crocodile is sometimes depicted in such scenes as the deceased hunting in the marshes. Treated at the Institute of Archaeology. Height: 7.2 cm Length: 7.9 cm Ostraka displaying various shapes UC33252 Rectangles of various shapes New Kingdom, 1550-1350 BC Limestone Black ink Drawings on both sides. Recto: traces of rectangular wall, basket-shape with zigzag line near the top, standing man facing right, his left arm is stretched out and his right arm is bent. He wears a short wig and a wrap-over garment. There are traces of butcher's block on the right. Below the block there are faint traces of possibly a seated person. Anthea Page (Page, 1983, p. 56) suggests that all the shapes appear in hieroglyphic writing and that they could have been student's exercise: ideogram or determinative in inb "wall" [Gardiner O36], wicker basket with a handle, for unknown reason phonetic k [Gardiner V31], butcher's block is semi-ideogram in hr "under" [Gardiner T28], and a man of rank seated on a chair is a determinative for a revered person [Gardiner A50 or 51]. Anthea Page suggests that the bottom rectangle may represent the piece of cloth - ideogram or determinative in si3t "piece of cloth with fringe" [Gardiner S32]. The sandal was used as an ideogram or determinative in tbt "sandal" [Gardiner S32]. Page also suggests the star to be ideogram or determinative in sb3 "star" [Gardiner N14]. Jac Janssen (Jansse,2008,89) suggests a different explanation for ostraka with pictures of garments. He suggests they functioned as laundry lists, made by illiterate housewives. Janssen points out that if the rectangle with the fringes represented the sign S32, then the other two rectangles could be explained as signs N37, "garden pool". He argues that the presence of sandals rather suggests items of dress. Height: 10.2 cm Length: 11.5 cm In my opinion, Jac. Janssen's theory could be supported by the star appearing on the right below the sandal. There are various marks on ostraka and pottery from Deir el-Medina, that could represent house marks or ownership marks. Although the marks varied in shapes, this explanation could help solving the mystery of the sign in one of the workmen's huts on the top of the cliffs. Sources: 1. Museum's web site at www.petrie.ucl.ac.uk 2. Page, Anthea: Ancient Egyptian figured ostraca : in the Petrie collection Warminster : Aris & Phillips, 1983. 3. Shaw, Ian, Nicholson, Paul: British Museum dictionary of ancient Egypt London: British Museum Press, 1995. 4. Brunner, Emma : Egyptian artists' sketches : figured ostraka from the Gayer-Anderson collection in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. 5. Janssen, Rosalind and Janssen, Jac. J.: Egyptian household animals Aylesbury : Shire Publications, 1989. 6. Wilkinson, R. H. : The complete gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. London : Thames & Hudson, 2003. 7. Calverley, A.: The temple of King Sethos I at Abydos, vol. IV. Chicago, 1958, pl. 18 8. Janssen, Jac. J.: Daily dress at Deir el-Medina : words for clothing London : Golden House Publications, 2008. 9. Peck, W. H. : Review of Ancient Egyptian figured ostraca in the Petrie Collection by Anthea Page IN: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 71, Reviews Supplement (1985), pp. 14-16 10. Gardiner, Alan: Egyptian grammar : being an introduction to the study of hieroglyphs Oxford : Griffith Institute, 1957. 11. Houlihan, Patrick F. and Goodman, Steven M.: The birds of ancient Egypt (Natural history of ancient Egypt) Warminster : Aris & Phillips Ltd., 1986. 12. Trope, Betsy Teasley: Excavating Egypt : Great discoveries from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London Atlanta : Michael C. Carlos Museum, Emory University, 2005 13. Houlihan, Patrick F.: The animal world of the pharaohs London : Thames and Hudson, 1996. 14. My own study and observation of the ostraka listed Hieratic ostraka at the Petrie Museum The Petrie Museum houses a collection of nearly 50 hieratic ostraka, collected by Flinders Petrie. Most of the ostraka come from Thebes, though the exact place and dates of acquisition still remain to be established. Although the written passages are mostly short, their contents indicate, that the majority of Petrie hieratic ostraka did originate in the Theban area - either in Deir el-Medina itself or in places where the Deir el-Medina workforce were active, e.g. the Valley of the Kings. Majority of hieratic ostraka are small pieces of limestone, with black and red writing in hieratic script. Smaller proportion of the ostraka are pottery sherds. The contrast for writing in red is less clear, but the background is still effective for writing in black. The range of content divides the ostraka into several categories: documentary (donkey hire and return, lists of objects, records of business deals) teaching (word lists) legal (donkey hire dispute) literary (tales, moralizing compositions) religious (plea to Amun for help) letters (requests) incantations (spells) UC19614 Hieratic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina Limestone Dynasty 20, 1186-1069 BC Length: 23 cm Width: 16 cm Charity after a divorce The workman Hesysunebef divorced his wife Hel in year 2 of Setnakhte (1185-1182 BC). For three following years, the author of the text below supported Hel with a small monthly ration of grain. The quantity, roughly equivalent to 19 litres, would not be enough to live on, but he did also buy a sash ( a piece of clothing), that used to belong to her, for six times its value. The ostrakon throws light on how a divorced woman might survive on the charity of others. Translation: Year 2, third month of summer, day 24, of King Weser-Khay-Re-Setep-en-Re (Sethnakhte), l.p.h.: (day) Hesy-su-neb-ef divorced the lady Hel. I spent three years giving to her an oipe of emmer every single month, making 9 sacks. And she gave me a sash, saying, "Offer it at the riverbank (the market-place); it will be bought from me for an oipe of emmer". I offered it, but people rejected it, saying, "It is bad!" And I told her exactly that, saying, "It has been rejected". Then she gave it to me, and I had one sack of emmer delivered to her via Khay son of Sa-Wadjyt. What was given to her via Nebu-em-weskhet (fem.) : 1 oipe. What was given to her via Ta-a'ot-merut, her daughter: 1 oipe. Total, 1 1/2 sacks for the sash. (McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs, p. 43-44) The lives of Hesysunebef and Hel are well documented. He began his life as a slave, but was adopted by his master and became a member of the crew of workmen. Eventually he attained the rank of deputy. He named his son and his daughter after his adoptive parents, and dedicated a stela to his father. His wife Hel is known to us from Papyrus Salt 124. She lived with Pendua before she married Hesysunebef. She deceived both husbands with the notorious Paneb. It could have been the reason for the divorce from Hesysunebef, especially since Paneb had also threatened to kill Hesysunebef's father (McDowell,1999,43). To view a stela of Hesysunebef now in the Manchester Museum, click here . UC39608 From Deir el-Medina Hieratic ostrakon Pottery Supply of yarn for lamp wicks. Translation : Year 29, month 2 of spring, day 9; on this day, distribution of the linen fibre to the crew to make into lamp(wick)s; head of distribution[...] on this day: the three leaders, 24 rings each total: 81the forty men, 9 ½ rings each, total 380 (but) Khons 26, total: 74 for the linen store, 31 rings to be taken out on the (account of) the right side for filling the scales 9 ½ (= for measuring each 9 ½?) 225 rings note of what fell to ground 21 rings Sum total: 516 rings[..] year 30, month 1 of flood, day 25; this day handing over the lamps beside the Amenemipet temple (Černý/Gardiner 1957: 11, pl. 35.4) Ostrakon Petrie 5 UC39606 Limestone Hieratic ostrakon Prescription of a scorpion-charmer Living in an environment teeming with snakes and scorpions, ancient Egyptians made efforts to develop remedies to combat the effects of their venom. This ostrakon contents a short letter from Amen-mose to a priest of the Ramesseum. He asks the priest for the ingredients of a remedy for a sick man. Amen-mose is a scorpion-charmer. The substances required could have been for a magical cure or they could have been used in combination of magic in his work. Translation : recto : The scorpion charmer Amen-mose and the temple scribe, prophet Piay of the mansion of King Weser-maat-Re Setep-en-Re, l.p.h. (the Ramesseum) in the House of Amen (on) the West of Thebes. To the effect that: the prophet is ill. When my letter reaches [you, you] will send him one grain, one jar of syrup, one festival date-juice(?). Translation in McDowell, p. 54-55. Length: 9.1 cm, width 12.5 cm Ostrakon Petrie 3 UC39607 Donkey hire and return Hieratic ostrakon. Complete. Translation : II prt 24. Donkey was given to policeman Imn-hcw for its b3kw. Coming (back) with it on IV prt 15. He brought 1 goat, that is (ir.n) 3 deben. Verso: One condemned (h3d) him (to) 20 [deben] copper. By the scribe of the Tomb Hori (Janssen: Donkeys at Deir el-Medina, p. 57) UC39630 Ramesside period, 1295-1069 BC From Deir el-Medina Limestone Hieratic ostrakon inscribed in ink with a list of the gifts that women brought to a feast. On one face there are three columns of 13, 15 and 11 lines, separated by red lines into 15 unequal compartments, each with a personal name followed in by quantities. Lenght: 19 cm Width: 20 cm. UC39648 From Deir el-Medina Limestone Hieratic ostrakon noting distribution of supplies. Černý/Gardiner 1957: 6, pl. 19.1. Ostrakon Petrie 50 I would like to express my thanks to the Petrie Museum and its staff, whose time and help has been essential. The museum curator Stephen Quirke kindly gave me permission to publish the ostraka images on my web site, Tracey Golding and Ivor Pridden have been generous with their time and assistance. © Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL The text and photography Lenka Peacock Sources: 1. Museum's own labels 2. Museum's web site 3. Janssen, Jac. J.: Donkeys at Deir el-Medina Leiden : Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten, 2005. 4. McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999. 5. Clayton, Peter A.: Chronicles of the Pharaohs : the reign-by-reign record of the rulers and dynasties of ancient Egypt London : Thames & Hudson, 1994. Further bibliography Back to top Anchor 1 Anchor 2

Links to the latest articles and blogs on Deir el-Medina and past updates on the website Links to articles on Deir el-Medina and past updates Updates August 2023: New Guide to Deir el-Medina Upda tes: May 2023: What is O.Turin 57431 telling us about schooling at Deir el-Medina? April 2023: Lucia Gahlin's DeM course at Dillington House, Somerset March 2023: In the Researcher’s Workshop, Museo Egizio, Turin January 2023: Deir el-Medina at the Egyptian Museum, Turin December 2022: " Textiles from Deir el-Medina: First Survey and First Observations" by Amandine Merat "A Deir el-Medina scribe/painter and his hieroglyphs," by Dr. Elizabeth Bettles (Leiden University) November 2022: Dr Deborah Sweeney: "Gender and Religious Practice at the royal tomb-builders’ village of Deir el-Medîna October 2022: - Magazine menagerie September 2022: - Latest news from Deir el-Medina July 2022: - TT8 Reveals ancient smells May 2020: - Deir el-Medina at Kingston Lacy March 2022: MAES Study day on Deir el-Medina New publication by IFAO February 2022: - Love in an Orchard https://papyrus-stories.com/2022/01/26/love-in-an-orchard/ January 2022: - The Museo Egizio Photographic archive on-line https://archiviofotografico.museoegizio.it/en/ December 2021: - From the Basement to the Archaeological Fieldwork : Rediscovering Deir el-Medina Woodcraft from a Comprehensive Study Speaker: Dr. Gersande Eschenbrenner Diemer - lecture at the Museo Egizio November the 30th https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0Y9Go0kdpA&t=374s November 2021 - Creating a 3D model of the temple of Hathor at Deir el-Medina - Bettles, E.A. (Elizabeth) https://www.ulule.com/deir_el_medina/ June 2021: - MUSEO E RICERCA | The Museo Egizio’s current research at Deir El-Medina – Cédric Gobeil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BlGdac5NA8 May 2021: - New entry at the "Egypt Centre Collection" blog of Dr Ken Griffin: "The Village of Deir el-Medina [- guest post by Sandra Ottens]" (April 26) https://egyptcentrecollectionblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-village-of-deir-el-medina.html April 2021: - Alessandro Rolle entitled "Il villaggio operaio di Deir el-Medina" published at Mediterraneo Antico on March 23rd 2021 is available in English translation below The workers' village of Deir el-Medina : The organization of work: the scribes of the tomb The original text c an be read at https://mediterraneoantico.it/articoli/il-villaggio-operaio-di-deir-el-medina/ March 2021: Thames Valley Ancient Egypt Society held an online Zoom lecture on the 6th of March 2021 entitled “Revealing the Practice of Tattooing in Ancient Egypt” with the speaker Dr Anne Austin October 2020: - Deir el-Medina: The Village and Rediscovery - Egypt Centre Swansea - Musing on Deir el-Medina - Egypt Centre Swansea - Religion at Deir el-Medina - Egypt Centre Swansea - The Necropolis of Deir el-Medina - Egypt Centre Swansea September 2020: - Christian Greco's lecture at the Queens of Egypt exhibition opening May 2020: - Il Papiro di Kha - Museo Egizio di Torino - Le Passeggiate del Direttore - La tomba di Kha e Merit pt. 1 - Museo Egizio di Torino - Il corredo di Kha e Merit - Museo Egizio di Torino - Culti locali a Deir el-Medina - Museo Egizio di Torino - Il villaggio di Deir el-Medina - Museo Egizio di Torino - Lo scriba Butehamun - Museo Egizio di Torino March 2020: - Backhouse, Joanne: Figured ostraca from NK Egypt February 2020: - D eM Thesaurus December 2019: - T attoos again - Smelling vessels contents at Museo Egizio November 2019: - A donkey called Rameses October 2019: - S ennedjem moves - TT1 in 3D on O sirisnet May 2019: - Hinson, B.: Coming of Age or an Age of Becoming? The Role of Childhood in Identity Formation at Deir el-Medina, New Kingdom Egypt (Doctoral thesis 2018) March 2019: - Life within the Five Walls : A Handbook on DeM by Benedict Davies is out February 2019: - A tatooed female mummy from DeM - Austin/Gobeil - free pdf on Academia as author's copy January 2019: - "Decoding signs of identity" book is out October 2018: - Program of the D eM workshop at Museo Egizio October 8-10 July 20018: - P atricia Berg's Doctoral dissertation digitised & free to download June 2018: - IFAO's 3D model of TT218-TT219-TT220 January 2018: - DeM exhibition in Cairo December 2017: - Liverpool lecture November 2017: - DeM conference at Museo Egizio, Turin , Dec ember 18 2017 September 2017: - Review of Mrs. Naunakhte June 2017: - Vignette on Khonsu's inner coffin lid 86.1.2a-DETAIL May 2017: Khonsu's anthropoid coffins Met 86.1.1–.2 March 2017: - The evolving portrait of Deir el-Medina by Dr Cédric Gobeil December 2016: - O steoarthritis at DeM - New release - Mrs. Naunakhte & Family by Koenraad Donker van Heel November 2016: - Emoticons in Ancient Egypt December 2015: - 3D tour of Sennedjem's tomb August 2015: -N ew light on Kha & Merit April 2015: - Deir el-Medina Study Day April 2014: - Jane Akshar's recent visit to DeM March 2014: - Another tomb at DeM will open to the public Summer 2013: - The papers of Jac. J. Janssen in the Griffith Institute Spring 2013: - S un dial from KV - DeM wall painting at Penn Museum February 2013: - Stela of Hesysunebef at the Manchester Museum November 2012: - NK Solar eclipse events article Part 2 Back to top

In the Liverpool galleries I photographed 6 objects that originally came from Deir el-Medina and that were on display at the time. The Museum currently holds 4 additional objects whose provenance is now researched as Deir el-Medina - they are added to the list below. World Museum, Liverpool Liverpool's World Museum has one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian and Nubian antiquities in the UK, with over 16,000 objects dating from around 5,000 BC to 642 AD. The original core of the Egyptian collection was given in 1867 by Joseph Mayer, an English goldsmith, collector and antiquarian (1803-1886), and was later expanded by supporting fieldwork projects of the Egypt Exploration Society, Flinders Petrie's British School of Archaeology in Egypt and especially John Garstang's excavations at Liverpool University. During the Blitz in May 1941, more than 3,000 Egyptian objects were destroyed by the Luftwaffe, with an incendiary bomb causing structural and fire damage to the building. http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/wml/ The expanded and redesigned Ancient Egypt gallery at Liverpool's World Museum, refurbished at a cost of £1.8m and reopened at the end of April 2017 after a year and a half of closure, is now the largest exhibition of its kind in the UK outside of the British Museum in London. The gallery space has tripled in size to around 1000m². The expansion allowed for the display of objects that had never been shown before, or that had been in storage for decades, and although the plan promised to triple the number of objects on display, it remained at around 1300. The gallery space, themed "Ancient Egypt: A Journey through Time", is divided into 7 chronological and thematic sections: "5,000 Years" outlines the time scale and introduces the key themes. The focus of the "River Nile" zone is a late predynastic female tomb excavated by John Garstang at Kostamneh in Nubia, now submerged under Lake Nasser. The People of Egypt section focuses on daily life, religion and art. the "African Kingdoms" section outlines the dominance of various powers over time and includes Nubian, Meroitic and Greek and Roman material. The highlight of the 'Afterlife' section is a 4 metre long Ptolemaic Book of the Dead papyrus of Djedhor, son of Tapes, preserved on 5 leaves in both hieroglyphic and hieratic scripts, displayed for the first time alongside 150 shabtis, a 127 centimetre high wooden statue of Osiris, animal mummies and decorated coffins. Liverpool Discovery, a circular area, illustrates Liverpool's importance as a conduit for Egyptian artefacts to England. The 'Mummy Room', flanked by a pair of Sekhmet statues, contains 9 mummies, some of which are suspended above the coffin basins on multi-level supports, with each level illuminated by LED tubes. I visited the galleries in the summer of 2015 during a trip with P.A.D.E.S. - Plymouth and District Egyptology Society - with 5 other members of the Egyptian Society Taunton , on whose committee I serve as webmaster. In the Liverpool galleries I photographed 6 objects originally from Deir el-Medina which were on display at the time. The museum currently holds a further 4 objects whose provenance is now known to be Deir el-Medina - these are added to the list below. In order to make this list complete, I have also added 2 additional objects which were unfortunately destroyed during the 1941 bombing and are therefore no longer part of the museum's collection. It is interesting to note that the majority of the objects listed below - 8 out of 12 - are from Deir el-Medina and were part of Joseph Mayer's original collection with which he opened his Egyptian Museum in 1852. This was a very early date for objects from the settlement, as no scientific excavation of the site had yet been undertaken. The objects must have been either illicitly excavated by the locals in the early 19th century and/or collected by Bernardino Drovetti, the French Consul General, or Henry Salt, the British Consul General, in the 1810s, or by John Gardner Wilkinson, the pioneering English Egyptologist, who recorded information on several tombs at Deir el-Medina in the 1820s. Mayer had acquired the collection in 1839 from Joseph Sams, a Darlington bookseller, who himself had acquired it between 1830 and 1838 as part of the Egyptian collection of Charles Bogaert, a Bruges businessman (see Sams, Joseph: 'Ancient Egypt: Objects of Antiquity forming part of the Extensive and Rich Collections from Ancient Egypt, brought to England by, and now in the possession of, J Sams", London, 1839, pl.22,2). It has also been suggested that Bogaert received his collection as repayment of a debt from Jean-Baptiste de Lescluze, a Belgian shipowner and merchant who had collected the material in Egypt between 1824 and 1825 (NML,2018). The remaining 4 objects were part of a large donation of some 200 objects from the Trustees of the Wellcome Institute in 1973. I would like to thank the Liverpool World Museum and its staff, in particular Dr Ashley Cooke, Head of Antiquities & Curator of Egyptology, for kindly allowing me to include the museum's finds from Deir el-Medina on my website and for providing me with high quality images of the objects, and Maureen Smith, PA to the Director of the World Museum, for her assistance. All images © National Museums Liverpool Photography by Lenka Peacock and National Museums Liverpool Fragment of an offering stela From Deir el-Medina Ramesside, possibly 19th dynasty Limestone Dimensions: 15x17x4 cms Inv. no.: 1973.2.340 Gift of the Trustees of the Wellcome Collection, 1971 Currently not on display This fragment is the lower left part of a larger stela carved in fine sunken relief. The right side shows a man kneeling with his arms raised in worship, looking to the left. On the basis of similar votive stelae from Deir el-Medina, it can be assumed that the upper register, which is now missing, bore the image of a deity, royal person or high official (vizier) whom the man is worshipping. He is clean-shaven or bald and wears an ankle-length kilt. Traces of brownish pigment remain on his head and arms. On the left, the kneeling man faces 3 vertical columns with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Translation: Line 1: the Ka of the Servant of the Place of Truth Line 2: Pa-hy-Hat, the justified, Line 3: and his son, the Servant... Transliteration: Line 1: kA n sDm- m st-mAat Line 2: pA-xy-HAt mAa-Xrw tr Line 3: i sA.f sDm- The name is not easy to read and the identity of the person mentioned is not yet certain. The available corpus of Deir el-Medina texts does not mention a Pahyhat with the title "sDm m st mAat" - the "Servant in the Place of Truth". of the Truth". We do know of a Pahyhat with the title of "Water Carrier" - "pA-xy-HA.t in-mw" - in lines 4-5 of the hieratic text of an ostrakon now in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford O.Ashmolean 56, who is known from this particular text dated to year 3 of Ramesses IV (c. 1152 BC) - 20th Dynasty - where Pahyhat delivers grain and vegetables with his well-known contemporary, Pentaweret. Richard Mandeville lists him in his master's thesis on the water carriers of Deir el-Medina written at the University of Liverpool (Mandeville, 16). Pahyhat in the text on this stela gives his title as "Servant of the Place of Truth" and not as "Water-carrier", so although this gives us evidence that individuals with this name existed at Deir el-Medina, this must be a different Pahyhat, one about whom we have not yet found any additional information. Some Egyptologists suggest that his identity is that of PAy, the Servant of the Place of Truth, who was active at Deir el-Medina from the reign of Horemheb until early in the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1319-1280 BC). The date of the stela, as suggested on stylistic grounds, coincides with the 19th dynasty (c. 1290-1270 BC). Gina Criscenzo-Laycock points out the way the man's raised arms are depicted. Unlike most contemporary votive stelae from Deir el-Medina, where the arms of the worshipper are raised with a gap between them, this stele shows them almost overlapping. In her article (Criscenzo-Laycock,2011,123) the author lists 2 other stelae with the same feature, both in the British Museum (BM EA278 and BM EA374 ). The author mentions the lack of space as a possible reason for the missing gap between the raised arms, or it is possible that the listed stelae are all the work of the same craftsman. The author dates this stela on stylistic grounds to the reign of Ramesses II, comparing it with 5 stelae from the Turin collection (50030, 50034, 50036, 50037, 50066), where she finds certain specific stylistic elements common to all 6 stelae. The stele was bought by Henry Wellcome at an auction at the turn of the 20th century. A small piece of the auction label remains on the back of the object. No details of its exact provenance or date of discovery are known today (Criscenzo-Laycock,2011,123). Walking stick 19th dynasty (around 1295-1186 BC) Inscribed and polished wood Remains of blue pigment Length: 46.5 cms Diameter: 2.1 cms Inv. no: M13821 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 A distinction should be made between the owner of TT217, the well-known sculptor Ipuy(i), who lived at Deir el-Medina during the reign of Ramesses II (c. 1279-1213 B.C.) in the 19th dynasty, and the family of the sculptor Piay(ii), who served under Horemheb, Ramesses I and Seti I (c.1319-1279) and a workman Ipuy(vii) who is attested between year 1 of Amenmesses (c.1203-1200 B.C.) and at least year 1 of Siptah (c.1194-1188 B.C.) (Davies, 1996, 214) and to whom this object may have belonged. However, the name, even when accompanied by the title, is too general to allow for precise identification. Although the lower part of the object is lost, the complete inscription survives in the form of a carefully carved single vertical column of hieroglyphs, read from top to bottom. Much of the original blue pigment used to fill in the characters remains on the wood. The wood was originally polished and is now split where the staff was broken in half. In ancient Egypt, sticks and staffs were always regarded as insignia of status, authority and rank. This fact is supported by tomb paintings of the elite as well as by archaeological finds. (Wiese,2004,326) There is another example of a New Kingdom walking stick in the Liverpool Museum, but it is not inscribed -59.32.189 Translation of the inscription: The one greatly favoured by his god, Amun-Re, [who is] in Ipet-sut (= the temples of Karnak), the august god within the Ennead (?) Ipuy Transliteration of the inscription: Hsy aA n nTr.f Jmn-Ra m Jpt-swt nTr Sps m-Xnw psDt jn TAty tp m st J-pw-y Spss More information: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/walking-stick-5 Hieratic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina 20th dynasty Limestone Dimensions: 20 x 19 cm Inv. no.: M13624 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Item is not currently on display The ostrakon is inscribed on both sides. The recto consists of 9 horizontal lines of hieratic inscription in black ink and contains the opening lines of the Prophecy of Neferty from Papyrus Petersburg 1116B recto. The verse consists of 9 lines of hieratic inscription written in black ink and contains a list of the household, giving the name of the householder with his title, followed by the name of his wife and their children, but without affiliations. It is impossible to tell from its format whether this household list is a draft declaration or notes for a local, domestic purpose. The list illustrated the relationship of the individual to the demands of authority (Eyre,2013,217-218). Hieratic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty, reign of Merenptah (around 1213–1203 BC) Limestone Dimensions: 16.5 x 11.5 cm Inv. no.: M13625 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 This limestone ostrakon is inscribed on both sides. There are 10 horizontal lines of hieratic inscription on the obverse and 9 horizontal lines of hieratic inscription on the reverse. Both black and red ink is used. Professor Jaroslav Černý suggested that both sides were inscribed by the same hand (Černý, Gardiner, "Hieratic Ostraca" (1957), plates 63 and 63a). It has been noted that the contents are various accounts of supplies and work done, i.e. in connection with a coffin and several feasts. Professor Mark Collier of the University of Liverpool gave a brief account of the inscription in 2013: “The recto opens with four lines specifying items given to an unnamed individual at a series of festivals (festivals of Taweret, Hathor and Meretseger). Lines 5 onwards are repeated instances of giving (but without specified occasion), all probably as recompense for some activity. The verso starts with a section (verso lines 1–5) of memorandum of items connected to work of 'my three lads', possibly people within a workshop. Verso line 6 end is a memorandum concerning a bed which ends up with Anupemheb, who saws off some wood for use in a coffin”. Hieratic ostrakon From Deir el-Medina 19th-20th dynasty (about 1295-1069 BC) Limestone Black ink 14.5 x 10 cms Inv. no: M13626 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 This limestone ostrakon is inscribed on both sides: the obverse (pictured) contains 9 horizontal lines of hieratic script in black ink, the reverse contains a further 7 lines of the script, mostly in black ink, except for the beginning of line 4, which is written in red. The account contains a list of wooden items produced by a carpenter for a customer. The receipt shows the value of the items in copper deben. Most of the items are of a funerary nature - 2 outer anthropoid coffins, 1 inner anthropoid coffin, 1 shabti box, blue pigment and another coffin. The total value of the goods is 112 deben. Wooden cubit rod From Deir el-Medina Late 18th dynasty Length: 52 cms Width: 3.5 cms Inv. no: M13825 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 The royal cubit was the main unit of measurement used in ancient Egypt to determine the length of objects or short distances. It measures 52.4 cm, which is approximately the length of an adult man's forearm from the elbow to the fingertips. It was made up of 7 palm widths of 4 thumb widths each (28 digits to the cubit) (Shaw,1995,174). On this particular rod the divisions of the cubit are marked on average at 1.9, 3.8 and 7.6 cm. One edge of the rod has a sloping surface. One side of the object is carved with a hieroglyphic inscription, written from right to left, containing a funerary offering formula to Amun-Re, Ptah and Thoth on behalf of Nakhy, a tomb builder from Deir el-Medina. Translation: An offering which the King gives to Amun-Re and to Ptah, Lord of the Two Lands, and to Thoth, Lord of Divine Words, great god who dwells in Hermopolis, so that they may give life, prosperity and health, and a good lifespan, following their Ka's, for the Ka of the Servant in the Place of Thruth, Any. This workman Nakhy should not be confused with the workman Nakhy, son of Bukentef, who lived at the end of the 19th dynasty or with the latter's grandfather, the chief craftsman Nakhy, who came from another family. The workman Nakhy and his wife are known from following objects now in other European museums: - stela no. 50010 in the Turin Museum (M .Tosi and A. Roccati, "Stele e altre epigrafi di Deir el Medina. (n. 50001-50262) : Pubblicate con il contributo del Consiglio nazionale delle ricerche" (Turin, 1972), 43-4) - a limestone tomb-relief in the British Museum no. 281 (Bierbrier, M L, "Hieroglyphic Texts from Egyptian Stelae etc.", Part 10, London, BMP, 1982) - funerary cones discovered in pit 1138 at Deir el-Medina (B. Bruyère, "Rapport sur les fouilles de Deir el Médineh; (1928)" (Cairo, 1929), 12-16). More information: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/inscribed-cubit-rod Shabti of Pay From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom (Ramesside Period, around 1295-1186 BC) Wood Length: 20.5 cms Inv. no: M13603 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 This is a painted wooden shabti of Pay. The arms of the shabti crossed over the chest and the bandaged lower body indicate that the figure is mummified, identifying it with the god Osiris, who is also depicted in this manner. The heavy, tripartite wig is plain, painted black with gold bands at the ends. The wig rests on an elaborate and colourful wesekh collar with four rows of black and red ornaments. The protruding hands are painted red, indicating that the figure is male. In its present state there is no trace of tools. A pair of square woven baskets are carried behind each shoulder. The shabti's beautifully carved face is painted red with large eyes outlined in black. The body is painted yellow over a white ground, with eight horizontal lines of hieroglyphic inscription written in black ink within a red frame around the figure's body. Pay's name and title are given within the text, which is the usual Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. Translation: "The illuminated one, the Osiris, the Draughtsman, Pay, the justified, he speaks: O, these shabtis, if one counts, if one reckons the Osiris, the Draughtsman, Pay, the justified, to do all works that are to be done there in the underworld – now indeed obstacles are implanted therewith – as a man at his duties, to cultivate the marsh, to irrigate the riverbank fields, to ferry by boat sand of the east to the west, ?, if one counts, if one reckons ... ‘here I am’ … Pay". Transliteration: sHD Wsir sS qd PAy mAa-xrw Dd.f i.Swbty ipn ir ip.tw ir Hsb.tw Wsir sS qd PAy mAa-xrw m kAt nbt irrt im Xrt-nTr ist Hw sdbw im [m] s r Xrt.f srwd sxt r smHt wdbw r Xnt Sa [r] iAbt r imnt iry ip.tw iry Hsb.tw ... m.k ... PAy There are 2 men with the name Pay and the title "draftsman" known from Deir el-Medina. Pay(i), son of Ipuy(v), and his grandson, also a draughtsman, Pay(ii), son of Prehotep (Davies,1996,180). This shabti figure could belong to either of them. Mummy mask From Deir el-Medina New Kingdom, 1550-1069 BC Cartonnage Dimensions: 20 cmx28 cm Inv. no: 1973.2.423 Gift of the Trustees of the Wellcome Collection, 1971 Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 This striking cartonnage mask, which was used to cover the head of a mummy, is very similar in style to the New Kingdom masks found in the tombs of Deir el-Medina. The mask was glued to the mount when it was part of the Wellcome Collection. After becoming part of the Liverpool Museums collection, the object was conserved in 1993-1994, when the flaking paint was consolidated, but it is currently impossible to remove the mount without damaging the mask. Cartonnage appeared during the Old Kingdom. It consisted of layers of linen or papyrus glued together with resin and then covered with plaster. It was moulded to the shape of the body to make mummy cases or masks. When the material was dry, it was painted. In September 2020, I saw one of the oldest known examples of this practice at the Kings of the Sun exhibition at the National Museum in Prague, Czech Republic. The object came from the 5th dynasty mastaba of the Central Abusir of Mernefu. It was found in its burial chamber, placed over the face of the deceased's mummy. It is kept in the Náprstek Museum of Asian, African and American Cultures in Prague, Inv. no. P 5704. The materials used to make cartonnage changed over time. In the Middle Kingdom it was common to use plastered linen, in the Third Intermediate Period linen and stucco, in the Ptolemaic period old papyrus scrolls and in the Roman period thicker fibrous materials. For further information: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/mummy-mask-1 Fragments of a pottery bowl From Deir el-Medina 18th dynasty, 1550-1295 BC Pottery Black and red pigment Dimensions: 5.2 cm x 7.7 cm x 1 cm Inv. no.: 1973.1.698a - top image Inv. no.: 1973.1.698b - bottom image Gift of the Trustees of the Wellcome Collection, 1971 Ex Wellcome collection inv. W34/22(3) Currently on display in Ancient Egypt Gallery, Level 3 The fragment shown above forms the rim and part of the base of a of a shallow bowl of polished terracotta. Black and red borders run horizontally across the top and bottom of the fragment. A jumping horse, held by a fragmentary arm on a rope, is painted in red and black pigments. The lower object consists of 4 fragments glued together and depicts a similar scene with a horse without an arm. To the right of the horse is a partial depiction of an ankh . There are 3 very similar fragments in the Louvre collection that appear to be from the same vessel. Two of these are on display in gallery 5, in display case 1, alongside other figured ostraca from Deir el-Medina. E12968A and E12968B+ C - excavated by Bernard Bruyère during his first season at Deir el-Medina from an undecorated tomb of 1095 in the 18th dynasty cemetery. All the fragments seem to show Greek influence. Could the vessel be of Minoan or Mycenaean origin? Could it have come to Thebes and later to Deir el-Medina as part of an import? Or was it Minoan influence, as now suggested by a modern comprehensive comparative study of murals at several New Kingdom sites that reflect Egyptian artistic production? Perhaps chemical analysis of the fragments will answer some of these intriguing questions. More information: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/artifact/bowl-sherd http://egyptomusee.over-blog.com/article-salle-5-vitrine-1-les-ostraca-figures-avec-bovides-37046325.html Stele dedicated to Meretseger From Deir el-Medina 19th dynasty Limestone Height: 20.9 cms Width: 16 cms Inv. no: M13830 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 In the upper half of this round stele there are six serpents, all facing to the right and painted in yellow and black. The lower half of the stela is divided into 2 registers: in the right register there is the figure of a kneeling woman, facing left, with her arms raised in worship. She was named Henut by Newberry and Peet. She wears a long, finely pleated white linen dress and a perfumed cone on top of her long, elaborately curled black wig. In the left register of the lower half of the stela there are four vertical lines of hieroglyphic text written in dark colour and read from left to right, top to bottom. Translation of the text: Giving adoration to the Ka of Meretseger, Lady of the Western Desert, Mistress of Heaven, Lady of all the gods, that she might give life, health and prosperity to the Ka of the servant ... The rest of the text is very unclear. According to Peet the stele was "almost perfectly preserved", was well-executed and finely coloured. Meretseger, the "One who loves silence", was worshipped as the protective goddess of the Theban necropolis, often depicted in the form of a snake or as the Theban peak itself. This stele was on display in the 1930's and was almost certainly destroyed in 1941. Peet examined it while preparing his guide to the Gallery and his notes of the inscription are used here (Newberry-Peet,1932,53,11). Stele dedicated to Meretseger From Deir el-Medina 19th-20th dynasty Limestone Height: 12 cms Width: 14.5 cms Inv. no: M13832 Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867 This limestone votive stele was also dedicated to the goddess Meretseger. The single scene is framed by a line border that follows the curve of this short, wide stela (possibly only the upper half). Meretseger is depicted with a female body and a serpent's head, seated on a throne facing right in front of a table piled with offerings. In her right hand she holds the Ankh-sign and in her left hand the Was-sceptre. She wears a high double-feathered crown. Around the scene there are 5 columns of vertical hieroglyphic inscriptions giving Meretseger's epithets. Translation of the text: Meretseger, the Peak of the West, Lady of the Sky, Mistress of all the gods. The technique of the stele execution was described as good - the lines were clearly carved and the scene was well proportioned (Newbery-Peet,1932,53,9). Sources: 1. Bienkowski, Piotr : Gifts of the Nile : Ancient Egyptian arts and crafts in Liverpool Museum London : HMSO, 1995 2. Criscenzo-Laycock, G.: A New Ramesside Stela from Deir el-Medina, IN: Ramesside Studies in Honour of K.A. Kitchen / edited by M. Collier and S. Snape, Bolton, 2011, pp. 123-126. 3. Mandeville, Richard: The water-carriers of Deir el-Medina Study written for his M.A. thesis at the Liverpool University, the text supplied through private e-mail correspondence 4. Eyre, Christopher: The use of documents in Pharaonic Egypt Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2013. 5. Newberry-Peet: Handbook and Guide to the Egyptian Collection on Exhibition in the Public Museums, Liverpool, 1932 6. Oakey, Michael : Liverpool World Museum’s Ancient Egypt Gallery reopens after major expansion IN: KMT a Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt, Vol. 28, Nu. 4, Winter 2017-18, pp. 43-57 7. Shaw, Ian, Nicholson, Paul: British Museum dictionary of ancient Egypt London: British Museum Press, 1995. 8. Tutankhamun - The Golden Beyond : Tomb Treasures from the Valley of the Kings / edited by André Wiese and Andreas Brodbeck Basel : Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, 2004. 9. 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. On-line resources: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/world-museum/exhibition/ancient-egypt http://www.globalegyptianmuseum.org http://egyptomusee.over-blog.com/article-salle-5-vitrine-1-les-ostraca-figures-avec-bovides-37046325. html Further bibliography Back to top

Located in the western cemetery at Deir el-Medina, TT218 belonged to Amennakht, TT219 to Nebenmaat and TT220 to Khaemteri, who all held the same title of "Servant in the Place of Truth" during the reign of the 19th dynasty's king Ramesses II (1,279 BC-1,213 BC) TT218, TT219 and TT220 "Three tombs of the ‘Servants in the Place of Truth’ open to the public at Deir el-Medina" Three tombs were opened to the public for the first time on 13 May 2016, following the completion of their restoration, Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anany announced in his statement. Located in the western cemetery of Deir el-Medina, TT218 belonged to Amennakht, TT219 to Nebenmaat and TT220 to Khaemteri, who all held the same title of "Servant of the Place of Truth" during the reign of King Ramesses II of the 19th dynasty (1,279 BC-1,213 BC), said Mahmoud Afifi, head of the Department of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities at the Ministry of Antiquities. All three tombs were originally excavated by Bernard Bruyère in 1928. They are located in the southern part of the western necropolis, between Sennedjem's TT1 and Irynefer's TT290. The tombs belong to one family - the tomb chapel of Nebenmaat (ii) TT219, located between those of his father Amennakht (xxi) TT218 and his brother Khaemteri TT220, can be dated accurately to the first half of Ramesses II's reign on the basis of the dates contained in the mostly intact painted scenes on the tomb walls. They are of great importance in the compilation of invaluable genealogical data (Davis, 1996, 278). The recent IFAO season completed preparations for the opening of the tomb complex to the public. Past missions have been spent clearing the tomb floors, making topographical plans, photographing the walls and their paintings, and installing wooden floors, electricity and finally glass panels to protect the painted scenes, said Cédric Gobeil, director of the IFAO mission to Deir el-Medina. The courtyard of this group of tombs leads to the first antechamber with polychrome paintings similar to those in the tombs of Sennedjem, Pashedu and Inherkau. The second antechamber, in which the plastered walls were painted white, leads to the tomb complex. TT218 is almost identical in decoration to the first antechamber. It contains traditional views of family members engaged in various activities, as well as illustrations of various spells from the Book of the Dead and images of funerary deities. It belonged to Amennakht and his wife Iyemwaw. The burial chamber of Nebenmaat and his wife Mertseger in TT219 is completely different: its walls were painted in a monochrome style - the background is white with scenes painted in yellow, red and black. This style of decoration is unique in Egypt: of the 53 decorated tombs at Deir el-Medina, only 22 are monochrome. The scenes include the image of Nebenmaat as a priest censoring and libation to his parents, a motif of the deceased and his wife with gods and family members, an image of Anubis tending to a mummy on a couch, and views of offerings made by the deceased to divinities and by Mertseger and her sons to various gods. An illustration of the funeral procession to the tomb also adorns the walls. The vaulted ceiling bears images of the gods and the deceased. Further into the tomb we find TT220, which belonged to Khaemteri and his wife Nofretsatet. The walls in this section are quite damaged, but traces of scenes show that they were painted in a monochrome style on a white background. The scenes include images of deities, a motif of a mummy on a couch, a view of a funerary banquet and an illustration of Anubis jackals. Press report from the Luxor Times magazine with many photos taken inside the tombs and with an excellent video including interviews with Cédric Gobeil (Egyptologist, IFAO) and Mostafa Al Saghis (Director of the South Qurna Antiquities Area) conducted above the site of Deir el-Medina and inside the burial chambers of TT218 and TT219: http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2016/05/exclusive-footage-ancient-egyptian.html On the occasion of the commemoration of a century of archaeological work (1917-2017) carried out by the IFAO at Deir el-Medina, an exhibition organised by Hanane Gaber, Laure Bazin Rizzo and Frederic Servajean brought together objects from the excavations preserved at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and documents from the IFAO archives (excavation diaries and photographs). In addition to the installation of objects from Deir el-Medina that are normally displayed in different rooms of the museum, the general public and researchers were able to discover a virtual visit to an unpublished tomb from Deir el-Medina - TT218-TT219-TT220 - on screens installed in the room. The visit was carried out by @Olivier Onezime, a research engineer at the IFAO. The 3D model of the tombs is now available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ifaocaire/videos/2199129870114222/? hc_ref=ARQvm414sXi9Venx8vAGLxJEiv3Zi5hPlNU7e6WWtz9HnZePOQGd4MPYCilJcyov9bQ Sources: 1. 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. 2. Dodson, Aidan - Ikram, Salima: The tomb in ancient Egypt : royal and private sepulchres from the early dynastic period to the Romans London : Thames & Hudson, 2008. 3. http://luxortimesmagazine.blogspot.nl/2016/05/exclusive-footage-ancient-egyptian.html 4. https://www.facebook.com/ifaocaire/videos/2199129870114222/? hc_ref=ARQvm414sXi9Venx8vAGLxJEiv3Zi5hPlNU7e6WWtz9HnZePOQGd4MPYCilJcyov9bQ Further bibliography Back to top

The Ancient Egyptian gallery at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery features over 600 objects. It covers "Belief", "Life", "Death" and "Afterlife". The mummy and the coffin of Horemkenesi, who lived at Deir el-Medina, arrived from Luxor in 1905. Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, UK The Ancient Egyptian Gallery contains over 600 objects. It covers 'Belief', the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, including their view of creation, their gods and their rituals. "Life - the social structure of ancient Egypt, childhood and a variety of occupations from pharaoh to farm labourer. "Death - funerary beliefs, preparation of the body for mummification, coffin symbolism and tombs. And "the afterlife" - ancient Egyptian beliefs about what happened after death and the need for burial objects, servants, food offerings and possessions. http://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/ bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/ The collections search page: http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/ In the 1890s, archaeologists from the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Egypt Exploration Society) excavated at Deir el-Bahri, a complex on the west bank of the Nile opposite the modern city of Luxor. At that time, archaeological finds that were not reserved for the national collection in Cairo could be shared between the donors of funds for the excavations (mainly museums and universities). Bristol Museum sponsored the EEF and received regular donations of finds as a result. In 1905 the mummy of Horemkenesi arrived in his coffin from Luxor (KS2 resource, 2003). The coffin was found in the pit tomb of Mentuhotep II's queen Sadeh (Booth,2003,247), who lived almost 1000 years before Horemkenesi, who was buried in her tomb in Mentuhotep's mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahri. The tomb had remained undisturbed for 3 millennia. Horemkenesi lived during the turbulent times of the 20th and 21st dynasties, around 1070 BC, in what is now called the Third Intermediate Period (Booth, 2006, 243). He lived either at Deir el-Medina or within the enclosure of Medinet Habu. His main occupation was that of an overseer of workmen at the Valley of the Kings. He also worked as a scribe at Deir el-Medina as he held the title of "Scribe of the Task in the Horizon of Eternity" (Booth, 2006, 243). Horemkenesi acted as a part-time Wab priest at the temples of Karnak and Medinet Habu. A rock inscription informs us that his father Huysheri also held the title of Wab priest at Medinet Habu, suggesting that the title may have been hereditary (Booth, 2006, 244). During Horemkenesi's early years, the boy must have attended classes and been trained as a scribe. The lessons would have taken place either in Deir el-Medina, where the school for the children of the necropolis workmen was run, or in the nearby Ramesseum. When the settlement of Deir el-Medina was abandoned, he would have been educated at the temple of Medinet Habu (Janssen,2007,64). His career began during the reign of Ramses XI (1098-1070 BC) and continued until at least the 20th year of the High Priest Pinedjem I (1070-1032 BC) (Booth,2003,244). His main duties were to inspect tombs for damage, repair robbed tombs and organise non-royal burials. His name is found in several rock carvings around the Valley of the Kings. His signature indicated which tombs he had inspected. For example, his name can be seen near the tomb of Seti II. In 1981 it was noticed that Horemkenesi's mummy was beginning to deteriorate and it was decided to unpack the mummy in order to find out more about Horemkenesi's physical characteristics and health, as well as how the body was mummified (KS2 Resource, 2003). The Horemkenesi mummy revealed a short, plump man who was between 55 and 60 years old at the time of his death. He suffered from arthritis in his shoulders and back, which must have caused him painful stiffness. The brain, which is normally removed, was left intact in the cranial cavity. On the other hand, his heart, which is usually left in the body, was missing from Horemkenesi's body. His earlobes had large holes in them and several of his teeth were worn down to the gums because the food he ate contained sand (KS2 resource, 2003). The mummy was buried in a 3-piece coffin, which was fashionable at the time. It is made of wood and covered with a thin layer of painted plaster. Inside and outside, there are images of gods and prayers to protect the deceased and help him in his journey to the afterlife. The design of the coffin is a standard one, it was not made especially for Horemkenesi, but his name and titles were written in the blank spaces in the text. The panoramas below were taken by Robert Gibson from Sydney, Australia. 14 photos I took in the gallery were rendered by him to create these 3 wonderful images. Horemkenesi's mummy was covered by a colourful painted mummy board. On the floor of the bottom case is a figure of Osiris in the form of a djed pillar. Horemkenesi's mummy was covered by a colourfully painted mummy board. The burial consisted only of the mummy in the coffin, draped with garlands of woven rush leaves, but no grave goods belonging to Horemkenesi were found in the tomb. No amulets were found in the linen wrappings, but feathers and small pieces of plant material were found in his bandages. The canopic jars were also missing. A pair of leather sandals too small for his feet was found in the tomb (KS2,2003). To view the museum's records of the coffin, follow the links below: http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/details.php?irn=79677 http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/details.php?irn=79579 http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/details.php?irn=79678 To view the museum's records for the group of mummies and coffins, follow the link to Search the Museum Collection at http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/list.php?keyword=horemkenesi&start=1 There are 585 individually numbered objects in the catalogue as all objects found in the coffins were recorded and given a unique catalogue number. The detailed list helps us to understand the wide range of ingredients used in the embalming process. All the coffins and remains of skin tissue from inside the mummy wrappings are listed together with the Horemkenesi's mummification process - baking soda to dry the body, sawdust, straw and plant fibres to fill the body cavities, and the body cavities to provide support, resins, minerals, charcoal and even beetles and larvae. As methods of changed and evolved over a long period of time in ancient Egypt, this list, together with the medical report from 1981, provide a better understanding of the process in which Horemkenesi's body was involved. I would like to thank Sue Giles, Senior Collections Officer-World Cultures, Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives, for permission to use the photographs on this page, and Amber Druce, Curator-World Cultures, Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives, for her helpful comments. Photographs © Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives Photography by Lenka Peacock Text produced using the following resources Sources: 1. Ancient Egyptians at Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery : a KS2 resource for teachers Bristol : Bristol's Museums, Galleries & Archives, 2003. 2. Booth, Charlotte: People of Ancient Egypt Stroud : Tempus, 2006. 3. Janssen, Rosalind and Janssen, Jac. J.: Growing up and getting old in ancient Egypt London : Golden House Publications, 2007. 4. Clayton, Peter A.: Chronicles of the Pharaohs : the reign-by-reign record of the rulers and dynasties of ancient Egypt London : Thames & Hudson, 1994. 5. http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/cms-service/stream/asset/?asset_id=32273145 (accessed June 25th 2011, the link is no longer available) 6. http://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/ 7. http://museums.bristol.gov.uk/ Further bibliography Back to top

Within the mud-brick enclosure wall at Deir el-Medina stands the small building of the Ptolemaic temple dedicated to the goddesses Hathor and Maat Ptolemaic temple of Hathor The most prominent temple in Deir el-Medina is the Ptolemaic Temple. It was dedicated to the goddesses Hathor and Maat. The building itself is small, but it is one of the best-preserved examples of a temple from this period still standing today. It is surrounded by a high mud-brick wall. Its complex includes the sites of several New Kingdom temples and small chapels built by the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina on the northern side of their settlement. The view of the northern side of the settlement as seen and photographed by Warwick Barnard during a balloon flight over the settlement in January 2007. Inside the mud-brick wall is the small building of the Ptolemaic temple. Photography © Warwick Barnard 2007 The mud-brick enclosure wall and the entrance gate. The gate was built and decorated by Ptolemy XII Neos Dionysos (80-58, 55-51 BC) and features scenes of the king offering sacrifices to various deities. The temple itself was built and decorated in the 3rd century BC. Work was started during the reign of Ptolemy IV Philopator (222-205 BC) and then was continued for the next 60 years under Ptolemy VI Philometor (180-164, 163-145 BC) and Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II (170-164, 145-116 BC). The small temple building lies within a mud-brick enclosure wall within which there are also numerous New Kingdom chapels erected by the inhabitants of Deir el-Medina. To read more about these chapels, follow the link here. Dozens of Greek, Demotic and Coptic Christian graffiti cover the walls of the temple. Hathoric and floral columns and extensive decoration are characteristic of this temple. This is the view looking through the columns above the curtain wall. The curtain wall is covered with reliefs depicting the king making offerings to various gods. Below is the eastern face of the curtain wall - Ptolemy VI Philometor facing Amun-Ra and Hathor. View towards Mammisi (the birth house) of Ptolemy IX Soter II (116-80 BC) and Cleopatra III. Both are shown here in the wall relief, facing Amun, Mut and Khonsu(who are not visible in the photo). The temple itself is entered through a vestibule with two papyrus columns. The pronaos, beyond the vestibule, is defined by a pair of columns, pillars and curtain walls. The view on the left looks from the vestibule through the pronaos into the central chapel. Plan of the temple drawn by Lenka Peacock: The figures on the columns show Amenhotep, son of Hapu, and Imhotep, both architects who were deified after their deaths. The photo was taken in the vestibule, looking through the pronaos towards the North Chapel. A painting by David Roberts (1796-1864) sketching himself in the vestibule of the Temple in 1838. Compare the inside of the temple as photographed in February 2007... This offering scene below comes from the lower part of the portico of the Pronaos. It dates from Ptolemy VI Philometor. The goddess is a female fecundity figure - the counterpart of all the images of Hapy that can be found around the lower part of the walls. The sign on her head stands for 'marshes', meaning that she represents one of the farms or estates that supported the temple. The calf in the marsh could represent Hathor, Neith or Mehet-Weret. ...with the interior of the temple as recorded by the Commission des arts et des sciences in Description de l'Egypte by the artists, who arrived in Egypt with Napoleon's army in July of 1798. They called the site "du temple de l'ouest" in their publication. This is a detail of a hieroglyphic inscription from the southern side of the doorway to the Pronaos. This beautiful double glyph is a sign A80 with a phonetic value Htr . It is used as a determinative. The western wall of the Pronaos is covered with hieroglyphic inscriptions. Its deep reliefs depict the king, Ptolemy VI Philometor, making offerings to Hathor-Isis and Maat. Detail of the window - there are two Hathors and a lotus placed between them. The west wall in the pronaos. On the left is the square Hathor column and in the foreground the stairs leading from the left side of the vestibule to the roof of the temple. Pronaos - View of the reliefs on the west wall. The upper register from the right: Nun, Nut, Heh, Hauhet, Kek, Kauket and Hathor, all holding symbols of life, receive the worship of Ptolemy VI Philometor. The decorated ceiling in the pronaos preserves ancient colours. Mineral based pigments were used to decorate the reliefs. Pronaos - View of the reliefs on the north wall. The upper register: Osiris, Isis-Hathor, Horus, Nephthys-Maat. The lower register: Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu, Montu, Tjenenyet. In both registers the gods are worshipped by Ptolemy VI Philometor. The southern chapel The doorway on the left leads into a long and narrow chapel. It is dedicated to Amun-Sokar-Osiris. The well-carved wall reliefs depict scenes from the judgement of the dead. Similar scenes are usually found on tomb walls or on papyrus scrolls. The carved figures, although Ptolemaic, are well proportioned and well modelled. Part of a scene on the southern wall of the chapel. The goddess Maat leads a figure of the deceased king (Ptolemy VI Philometor) towards the Hall of Judgment. Above the king, forty-two judges sit, ready to pronounce their verdict on his fate. Horus and Anubis weigh the deceased's heart. The heart is balanced on a scale against the feather of Maat. The ibis-headed Thoth stands to the right and records the result. A lion-hippopotamus-crocodile figure called Ammit sits nearby, ready to devour the heart of the unjust. The four sons of Horus stand above a lotus flower. The face of Osiris (not visible in the picture), seated on the throne. The image below shows an animal-headed genii, which can be seen in the upper left register of the of the doorway of the southern chapel. A four-headed ram depicted on the lintel above the door (inside the chapel). Detail of an offering table with blue lotus flowers in front of the throne of Osiris on the west wall of the southern chapel as decorated by Ptolemy IV Philopator. The lintel over the central chapel door with seven heads of Hathor. The central chapel The central chapel was dedicated to Hathor by Ptolemy IV Philopator. The wall reliefs show Hathor receiving offerings from him, his sister Arsinoe, and Ptolemy VII Neos Philopator (145 BC), who continued the decoration of the chapel. Ptolemy VI Philometor making an offering to Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu, Hathor and Maat. Ptolemy IV Philopator and the queen Arsinoe III are making offerings to Min Amun-Re. Ptolemy VI Philometor making an offering to Amun, Amunet, Montu-Re, Maat and Raet. South wall. King Ptolemy IV Philopator offering to Hathor of Dendera and Horus. Ptolemy VI Philometor making an offering to Amun-Re, Mut, Khonsu, Hathor and Maat. Ptolemy VI Philometor makes offerings to Amun-Ra, Mut, Khonsu, Hathor and Maat. The reliefs were restored by Ptolemy VIII Euergetes II, Cleopatra II and Cleopatra III. The north chapel The doorway on the right leads to the North Chapel dedicated to Amun-Ra-Osiris. The reliefs show the king in front of various deities including Hathor, Isis, Nepthys, Horus, Anubis, Mut, Amun and others. Northern (right) wall of the chapel Nut Osiris Anubis Nepthys Ptolemy VI Philometor Horus Isis Southern (left) wall of the chapel Ptolemy VI Philometor Hathor Amun-Ra Amun-Ra Iat Maat Isis Detail of the papyrus and lily frieze. Details of reliefs and inscriptions on the temple walls. Wast (Weset) - the ancient name for Thebes, modern Luxor. The outer (rear) wall of the temple. Octavianus (who became Augustus in 27 BC and the first Emperor of Rome) offering to the goddesses Raet and Tjenenyet. The remains of earlier structures on the north side of the temple within the enclosure wall. The text on this page was written by Lenka Peacock Photography © Lenka and Andy Peacock Sources: 1. Wilkinson, R. H. : The complete temples of Ancient Egypt. London : Thames & Hudson, 2000. 2. Bomann, Ann H.: The private chapel in ancient Egypt : a study of the chapels in the workmen's village at el Amarna with special reference to Deir el-Medina and other sites. London : Kegan Paul International, 1991. 3. Strudwick, Nigel and Helen: Thebes in Egypt : a guide to the tombs and temples of ancient Luxor London : British Museum Press, 1999. 4. McDowell, A.G.: Village life in ancient Egypt : laundry lists and love songs Oxford : Oxford University Press, 1999. 5. Pharaoh's workers : the villagers of Deir el-Medina / edited by Leonard H. Lesko Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1994. 6. Ventura, Raphael: Living in a city of the dead : a selection of topographical and administrative terms in the documents of the Theban necropolis Freiburg (Schweiz) : Universitatsverlag, 1986. 7. Černý, Jaroslav: Le culte d’Amenophis 1er chez les ouvriers de la nécropole thébaine, BIFAO 27 (1927). Further bibligraphy Back to top

The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney houses the most important collection of the Eastern Mediterranean art within Australia. The foundation of this collection was laid by donation of over 400 ancient Egyptian objects by Sir Charles Nicholson in 1860. Nicholson Museum, Sydney, Australia The Nicholson Museum at the University of Sydney houses the most important collection of Eastern Mediterranean art in Australia. The foundation of this collection was laid in 1860 with the donation of over 400 ancient Egyptian objects by Sir Charles Nicholson. Sir Charles Nicholson (1808-1903) was a scholar, traveller, collector of antiquities, books and manuscripts, and an influential political figure. The Egyptian antiquities were collected by Nicholson during his trip to Egypt in 1856-1857. The provenance of many objects has had to be painstakingly researched and pieced together from fragmentary records, as Nicholson's home in Hertfordshire, England, was destroyed by fire in 1899. Part of his library, containing his archives and papers, was lost in the blaze. The Egyptian collection covers all periods of Egyptian history, from prehistory to Roman times. Sir Charles Nicholson donated much of the Egyptian collection to the University and further objects were acquired from Abydos, Diospolis Parva, el-Mahasna, el-Amrah and Qasr Ibrim by the Egypt Exploration Fund (now the Society) in London in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. http://sydney.edu.au/museums/ collections/nicholson_egypt.shtml.shtml Photograph © Warwick Barnard 2009 A catalogue of the 408 objects collected during the tour was printed in 1858. Edward Reeve published Catalogue of the Museum of Antiquities of the University of Sydney in 1870. In 1891 a revised version of the catalogue was published in London as Aegyptiaca. The publication was prepared by Joseph Bonomi with translations of ancient Egyptian inscriptions by Samuel Birch, Director of the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum, and by D. I. Heath of Trinity College, Cambridge. I would like to thank Dr Elizabeth Bollen, Curatorial Assistant at the Nicholson Museum, who kindly provided the images of the objects and gave me permission to publish them on this website. This site would not have been possible without the help and encouragement of Warwick Barnard of Sydney. "Photography © Sydney University Museums Text written by Lenka Peacock. Hieratic ostrakon with an account of an industrial dispute Limestone Height: 7.5 cm Width: 11.25 cm 20th dynasty From Deir el-Medina Inventory number: NM R97 The ostrakon bears part of a text in Ramesside hieratic. The content deals with the strikes and demonstrations that broke out towards the end of the reign of Ramesses III (c. 1155 BC) and seriously disrupted work on the royal tombs for several years. The date on the first line of the recto is lost, but Jac Janssen suggests that the record of events confirms the first year of Ramesses IV (c. 1151 BC) as the most likely date of this ostrakon (Janssen, 1997, p. 164). The beginning of the text records the members of a delegation to the necropolis. The high priest Ramessenakhte, the royal butler Amenkhew, the mayor of the city, the scribe of the mat Hori, his colleague Paser, the deputy of the granary Meryptah and a setem-priest summoned the two chief workmen together with the two scribes and the rest of the crew (Janssen, 1997, p. 163). In Aegyptiaca, the ostrakon is described as the 97th object: "Fragment of Fine Lime-stone, inscribed on both sides in beautiful hieratic handwriting of the time of Rameses in black ink. The same piece of stone had been used before with writing in the same character, but in red ink. The fragment is nearly flat, but not quite square, and probably the inscription is almost perfect. It measures 4 1/2 inches long by 3 inches wide". The recto contains parts of five lines written in a practised hand, which slopes slightly to the right (Ray, 2006, p. 215). The translation of this fragment by the Rev. D.J. Heath. From right to left - Lieutenant Amen - territorial scribe Hora, scribe of wine skins, Pioer-Lieutenant of the granaries maise .... of Thoth - forwarded to the citadel of the citadel of the scribe Ament, the scribe Hora. Translation from Aegyptiaca: 1891, p. 38 [Year x, month y, day z: (On) this day (there was) the arrival (?) ... by ... (?) the High Priest of Amon)(?), Rames]es(?)nakhte, the Royal Butler, Amonkhau, the Royal Butler ... of Town, the Meryptah, the setem priest, Djehuty [...(?), and they c]ame to the "lock up" of the Tomb, and had [summoned the] two [foremen], the Scribe Amonnakhte, the Scribe Horisheri, and the en[tire] crew. Translation from Eyre: 1979, p. 80 [Day ... On this day there arrived ... the High Priest of Amun Ramesse]-nakhte, the royal cupbearer Amenkhau, the royal butler ... of the City (i.e. Thebes), the accounts scribe Hori of the City, the accounts scribe Pasiur ... the deputy of the granary Meriptah, the setem-priest Thot-[..., and they c]ame to the compound of the Tomb. They [summoned the] two [foremen of the gang], the scribe Amennakhte, the scribe Harsher (alternatively, Hori the title), and the ent[ire] gang. Translation Ray 2006, p. 215 Copied by Lenka Peacock after Jaroslav Černý's transcription, now deposited in the archives of the Griffith Institute in Oxford, Černý Mss, 17.49.66(3). The verso contains parts of a further five lines written by the same hand. The line at the bottom of the ostrakon is partially broken off. It contains a 'strike' entry. The men stated that they were hungry and had no wood, vegetables or fish, which was confirmed by the officials of the court (Janssen, 1997, p. 164). The translation of this fragment by the Rev. D.J. Heath. From right to left - ... passage along the road there was thirst... ...they made us pass the road... ...we were fowls, corn, and fishes... ...supplies forwarded to sustain the chief... Translation from Aegyptiaca: 1891, p. 37 ...the gang having walked out, since they were hungry, [saying], "We have walked out because we are hungry; there is no wood, no vegetables, no fish." ... the Tomb. So they went to consult the magistrate[s] of the Council, who declared, "[The people of the Tomb?] are in the right." ... Translation from Ray 2006, p. 215 The hieroglyphic text copied by Lenka Peacock after Jaroslav Černý's transcription, now deposited in the archives of the Griffith Institute in Oxford, Černý Mss, 17.49.66(3). The text of the ostrakon is one of a series of so-called "strike documents" of the mid-20th dynasty. The known strike texts are similar in style and format: they are administrative memoranda related to the supply and labour problems of the royal tomb. Sequences of actions are found on ostraka, e.g. on O. Cairo 25533, O. Berlin 10633, O. DeM 571. The best known strike document is the Turin Strike Papyrus from the year 29 of Ramesses III. ...the gang having walked out, since they were hungry, [saying], "We have walked out because we are hungry; there is no wood, no vegetables, no fish." ... the Tomb. So they went to consult the magistrate[s] of the Council, who declared, "[The people of the Tomb?] are in the right." ... Translation from Ray 2006, p. 215 [Day ... On this day there arrived ... the High Priest of Amun Ramesse]-nakhte, the royal cupbearer Amenkhau, the royal butler ... of the City (i.e. Thebes), the accounts scribe Hori of the City, the accounts scribe Pasiur ... the deputy of the granary Meriptah, the setem-priest Thot-[..., and they c]ame to the compound of the Tomb. They [summoned the] two [foremen of the gang], the scribe Amennakhte, the scribe Harsher (alternatively, Hori the title), and the ent[ire] gang. Translation Ray 2006, p. 215 It is generally assumed that the authorship of the Sydney ostrakon belongs to the scribe Amennakhte, who is known as the author of the Turin papyrus. Although Eyre argues that a memorandum of this type was usually written by one of the scribes present (Eyre, 1979, p. 85), it is not clear that the hand was that of either Amennakhte or his son, the scribe Horisheri. He suggests that we may be dealing with a "school" of hands closely associated with Deir el-Medina in the early and mid-20th dynasty. In addition to NM R97, there is another object from Sir Charles Nicholson's collection that is listed as possibly from Deir el-Medina. In Aegyptiaca the object is described as No.2. "Part of a vertical inscription in hieroglyphs. According to Mr Birch, this is the end of the funeral formula of a person called Sa-Sati, auditor of complaints (judge) of the Lord of the Earth, i.e. the King. The forms of the letters are in the style of those of Thebes, in the 18th dynasty. This fragment preserves the original colours, except that the blue, which is derived from copper, has become greenish. The hieroglyphs are carved. Limestone, 10.5 cm high". Trapezoidal fragment with carved hieroglyphic inscription Limestone 19th-20th dynasty Height: 26.25 cm Inventory number: NM R2 The signs below n kA n give the title which reads sDm-aS,straditionally translated as 'servant' ('one who hears thessummons'). The first part reads: n kA n sDm-aS n nb-tAwy 'for the ka of the servant of the Lord of the Two Lands'. The remainder of the inscription is the name of the servant: sA-wADy mAa-xrw 'Sa-wadjy, justified'. Translation by Jan Kunst, Holland,2009 The existence of at least six men with the name Sa-Wadjyt/Siwadjet is preserved in textual evidence on stelae, ostraka, and in graffiti, tomb scenes and a papyrus from in and around Deir el-Medina: Sa-Wadjyt (i), husband of Tawosret, who lived sometime during the reign of Ramesses II, Sa-Wadjyt (ii), son of Irynefer, Sa-Wadjyt (iii), husband (?) of Meretseger, Sa-Wadjyt (vi), son of Tanehsy, whose case is preserved on O Petrie 16 and dates to the very early 20th dynasty, Sa-Wadjyt (v), father of Qenymin and Sa-Wadjyt (vi), son of Huy. These individuals lived during the 19th and 20th dynasties. Without the recorded provenance of the fragment and in the absence of names of any relatives, we cannot attribute the inscription to the particular S a-Wadjyt, although a fragmentary stela with a similar title "Servant of the Lord of the Two Lands in the Place of the Truth" was commissioned for Sa-Wadjyt (iv). Sources: 1. Reeve, E.: Catalogue of the Museum of Antiquities of the Sydney University Sydney : Cunninghame, 1870. 111 p. 2. Nicholson, C.: Aegyptiaca. Comprising a Catalogue of the Egyptian Antiquities Collected in the years 1856, 1857, and now deposited in the Museum of the University of Sydney. London : Harrison and Sons, 1891. 150 p. 3. Sowada, Karin N.: Sir Charles Nicholson : an Early scholar-traveller in Egypt IN: Egyptian art in the Nicholson Museum, Sydney. p. [1]-8. 4. Ray, John: Inscriptions and Ostraca in the Nicholson Museum IN: Egyptian art in the Nicholson Museum, Sydney. p. 215-216. 5. Eyre, C.J.: A "Strike" Text from the Theban Necropolis IN: Orbis Aegyptiorum Speculum. Glimpses of Ancient Egypt : Studies in Honour of H. W. Fairman Warminster : Aris & Phillips, 1979. 201 p. 6. Janssen, Jac. J.: Village Varia : Ten studies on the history and administration of Deir el-Medina Leiden : Nederlands Instituut voor het nabije Oosten, 1997. p. 163-164. 7. Davis, Benedict George: 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. p. 307-310 8. http://sydney.edu.au/museums/collections/nicholson_egypt.shtml Further bibliography Back to top