Everyday Life
Housing and Furniture:
Some of the common household furniture was chairs, stools, beds, headrests and chests, all people owned some sort of furniture, the way that the status of the people was what the furniture was made of as only the rich could afford the imported timbers such as cedar from northern Lebanon, the same with the sarcophagus as the wealthier people could afford the better materials to the point where the pharaohs would was made from gold. Housing was usually small with shared walls between them. They were built in a compact way so that they were all conjoined. All the furniture that was evident portrays that the people of Deir el Medina were skilled craftsmen.
Food:
According to 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 emmer wheat flower (for making 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 form 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. Egyptians baked their bread in a variety of different creative shapes including human and animal shapes.
Leisure:
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 warn was an indication of the persons status in median society, as only the rich could afford the best. 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, very little sewing was don’t the garments were wrapped around the body with a belt it hold it on place.
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.
*fig 6.2* in figure 6.2 women sit at the river’s edge buying fish, bread and vegetables for amounts of grain, this was called a barter-economy, where the buyers were also the sellers. This is evidence that women played an important role in the village community. (Deir el Medina and Pompeii: living without money, Pg. 13, M. Demovic)
Some of the common household furniture was chairs, stools, beds, headrests and chests, all people owned some sort of furniture, the way that the status of the people was what the furniture was made of as only the rich could afford the imported timbers such as cedar from northern Lebanon, the same with the sarcophagus as the wealthier people could afford the better materials to the point where the pharaohs would was made from gold. Housing was usually small with shared walls between them. They were built in a compact way so that they were all conjoined. All the furniture that was evident portrays that the people of Deir el Medina were skilled craftsmen.
Food:
According to 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 emmer wheat flower (for making 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 form 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. Egyptians baked their bread in a variety of different creative shapes including human and animal shapes.
Leisure:
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 warn was an indication of the persons status in median society, as only the rich could afford the best. 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, very little sewing was don’t the garments were wrapped around the body with a belt it hold it on place.
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.
*fig 6.2* in figure 6.2 women sit at the river’s edge buying fish, bread and vegetables for amounts of grain, this was called a barter-economy, where the buyers were also the sellers. This is evidence that women played an important role in the village community. (Deir el Medina and Pompeii: living without money, Pg. 13, M. Demovic)