Everyday life in Deir El Medina
Everyday life in Deir el Medina was privileged in contrast with the rest of Egypt, as suggested by the evidence that has been found in the area. Artefacts that have been found give detailed information about what the villagers did on a daily basis and how they relaxed on their time off, how they communicated with each other, how they made a living and how their relationships were with each other.
With villagers having to go through ten day week, working eight of the ten days and getting the other two off, but spending those two days making their own tombs or earning extra income for their family, they hardly had any time for themselves to enjoy. This was to be expected however, as the purpose for the inhabitants of Deir el Medina was to work in the Valley of the Kings. There were exceptions however, when special festivals and holidays came around. The people that lived in Deir el Medina had a better lifestyle than those living in other parts of Egypt, due to the government houses that were provided for them by the Pharaoh, and the larger amount of provisions they received for their work on the Valley of the Kings. Although they had better living conditions, some people living there could not afford complete mummification, as this luxury was only for the incredibly wealthy in Egypt.
Above Image: A well preserved painting from the tomb of an Egyptian builder, Sennedjem, in Deir El Medina, presents a cultivation of cereals as well as ploughing.
With villagers having to go through ten day week, working eight of the ten days and getting the other two off, but spending those two days making their own tombs or earning extra income for their family, they hardly had any time for themselves to enjoy. This was to be expected however, as the purpose for the inhabitants of Deir el Medina was to work in the Valley of the Kings. There were exceptions however, when special festivals and holidays came around. The people that lived in Deir el Medina had a better lifestyle than those living in other parts of Egypt, due to the government houses that were provided for them by the Pharaoh, and the larger amount of provisions they received for their work on the Valley of the Kings. Although they had better living conditions, some people living there could not afford complete mummification, as this luxury was only for the incredibly wealthy in Egypt.
Above Image: A well preserved painting from the tomb of an Egyptian builder, Sennedjem, in Deir El Medina, presents a cultivation of cereals as well as ploughing.
Housing and Furniture
Houses were adjoining in Deir el Medina and did not have a front or back yard. They shared two walls with other homes and were usually very small. This was however determined by a person's class. The roofs of these houses were also flat and front doors were open facing into the main street of Deir el Medina. Houses were not only used for living purposes, but also for business purposes. Many of the villagers converted the front rooms of their homes into shops, or even bars for people to enjoy their beer in. The houses at Deir el Medina can very much be compared to old terraced cottages that can be found today. Types of furniture that Egyptians had in their household were chairs, stools, beds, headrests and chests. Chests were used for storing necessities. The status a person had dictated what quality of furniture that they got. Only wealthy Egyptians could afford woods and materials that had been imported.
Food
According to Egyptologist John Romer, the average Egyptians main diet consisted of bread, onions and beer, this was discovered through the trends of the food that was left in the tombs for the afterlife. Also wage slips were found showing men were paid in monthly rations of wheat flour, which is used to make bread and barley for making beer, a range of spices, salts, oils and meats were included a bonuses, this shows that they were seen as luxuries. Vegetables, fish, water came from suppliers outside the village. Every villager had a good diet, and a wide range of vegetables and fish this was due to the proximity to the Nile.
Leisure
Villagers hardly have any time for themselves to enjoy. The workers go through a 10 day week, working 8 of the 10 days and getting the other 2 days off, but they rather spend those day offs to earn more income for their families. Some leisure activities that the workmen had included hunting, fishing, gymnastics, athletics, archery, boxing, wrestling and sword fighting with sticks, the workers however got little time to participate in these activities. All members of the community were allowed to participate in these activities however it was not seen fit that women would participate in these activities.
Clothing
Clothing that was worn was an indication of the person’s status in Median society, as only the rich could afford the best clothings. The common clothing of that time was linen. In many artworks portrays men working in the fields with no shirt but only linen sheet wrapped around their waste, this wasn’t because these workers were of lower class but because these men looked to keep their best clothing for their journey in the afterlife. Animal skin was usually worn by the priests and pharaohs as first servant of the Gods. In constructing these linen pieces of clothing the Egyptians used needles that were fashioned from wood, bone and metal. Fashion was always kept simple a short loin cloth resembling a kilt for men and a dress with straps for women.
Jewellery
The people of Deir el Medina used Jewellery for two main purposes, those being fashion and Religious purposes. It was use to depict status, for example the pharaoh was seen to be showered in gold, not just because it was a sign of his power but also for religious purposes as a lot of amulets and religious equipment were made of Gold. This was evident in the artwork and the pharaoh’s tombs being dressed in gold. Workmen and commoners also wore jewellery however they were made of less expensive material like plaster or stone.