Living, Creating, Believing and Dying in the Village of the Royal Tomb Builders

The site of Deir el-Medina was home to a community of skilled workmen in charge of digging and decorating the tombs of both the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens during the New Kingdom (ca. 1550-1069 B.C.). Deir el-Medina is usually considered the paradigmatic site-witness for studies of Egyptian daily life and benefits from a substantial material record. Through a multi-perspective analysis drawing on both tangible (archaeological structures) and intangible (textual/iconographical) sources, ancient and modern (excavation diaries and new discoveries recently made on the spot!), this course aims at discovering the lifestyle, practices and culture of this community.