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Is anyone familiar with the wealth of material found at the workman's villiage. From what I know of it, there basically a bunch of gossip current at the time. To me this is the the best data available on the lives of the average ancient Egyptian.
Some of the noteworthy stories I've read was of a shady guy named Peneb, and a guy who was getting clowned for not being able to get his wife pregnant.
These little scratch pads may say more about the ancient Egyptian than anything else. Is any familiar with any other goodies from this area? Are there any translations of these texts?
ausar Member # 1797
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Most of the residents at Deir El Medina were craftsmen comissioned by the per-aa to work and construct tombs or other assorted crafts. Typically,these crafts were pass down from fathrer to son. What evidence we have come from a literate population that wrote down on ostrca that has been collected and probabaly stored in various museums.
Here is a book that I recommend:Village Life in Ancient Egypt: Laundry Lists and Love Songs A. G. McDowell.
What we also get is insight into the religion of the commoner which seemed to be a form of ancestor dovtion. Ancestor busts which are similar to the ancestor shrines in modern Upper Egypt was found in this region. Reminds me alot of the ancestor busts in modern day Ghana.
Kem-Au Member # 1820
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Thanks. I'm going to check this out. BTW Ausar, have you ever read Pharaoh's People by T.G.H. James? It's supposed to deal with life in Imperial Egypt. If so, what did you think of it?
[This message has been edited by Kem-Au (edited 12 May 2004).]
ausar Member # 1797
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Yes,I read T.G.H James book Pharoah's People. The book covers the lives of the common Egypt while others focus more upon the elite pharoahs or priests. Some of the history presented in the book might be sketcky like the Instructions of Ptahhotep being written around the 12th dyansty.
Osiris II Member # 3079
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An excellent book, dealing with the lives of the common people, is Barbara Mertz' "Red Land, Black Land". It is quite detailed in its discriptions of dailey life, and gives a good back-ground on all the Dynasties. By the way, this is the "real" name of Elizabeth Peters, the mystery writer, whose Amelia Peabody series is a delight for any interested in Egyptology.
ausar Member # 1797
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I don't really care for Barba Metz fiction type analysis of the acient Kemetian civlization. The books are entertaining for a beginner in Egyptology,but a well seasoned vetern will yearn for more. She sometimes includes her own silly comments instead of sticking to Egyptological fact. I would recommend people read the books,but do so with a grain of salt.
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