Stages of Settlement from 18th-20th Dynasties
Amenhotep I- founder of Deir-El MedinaThe Founding of Deir El Medina by the pharaoh Amenhotep I, coincided with the beginning of the ‘New Kingdom ‘ Period, which last 500 years from 1567-1085 BC. Throughout the 500 years that Deir el Medina flourished, the basic plan of the town remained the same however, much change happened within Medina, much concurring with events taking place with the rest of Egypt. The period of the New Kingdom was the peak of Ancient Egyptian power and was a time of prosperity for Egypt.
Little information is known about the initial inhabitants of Deir-El Medina, however in accordance to paintings found inside many tombs and buildings of the residents of Medina, Amenhotep (belonging to the 18th dynasty to rule Egypt) was the pharaoh who organised the first ‘gang’ of tomb builders and is presumed to have founded medina. Along with his mother Queen Ahmose-Nefetari, they were worshipped as the patron gods and protectors of the village. Despite the little information known about the village during this period it is estimated , due to house foundations discovered, the early village of Deir El Medina started off with about twelve houses lining a dirt track. The pharaoh Thutmose I was the first person to be buried in the valley in the kings and the archaeologist Bruyere discovered his name stamped on the mudbricks of the initial walls of the village.
Towards the end of the 18th dynasty, Akhenaten ascended to the throne and moved the capital from Thebes to the new city he built ‘Tell el Amarna’, work in the Valley of the kings stopped and with no work to do, most of the inhabitants of Deir el medina deserted the town. This period in the history Medina is referred to as ‘Amarna, and during excavation by Bernard Bruyere (1917-47) red brick and red as well as black soil was excavated, indicating a fire which consumed a part of the village .After the death of Akhenaten, work in the valley resumed and many returned to medina for work.
The last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, was the warrior pharaoh Horemheb who reigned from 1306 BC - 1319 BC. He re-established Deir El Medina and constructed its lasting plan in a more structured style. By the 20th dynasty, Deir el medina was a structured and defenced village. The village was surrounded by a six metre high and 105 cm thick, mud brick wall which was later reconstructed with stone. At each end of the town, a gate was located and were accessed by the original main road that ran through the middle of the town from north to south . Being located in the desert, Medina did not have any ways of retrieving water from within the town and a community well was made, 15 minutes away from the north gate, which was filled by water carriers from the Nile. Individual water jars were placed in front of wealthier houses to store water for the week. Being a town working with the “to be “ spirits and also close to the Religious Capital of Egypt, the people of Medina constructed many temples to worship their deities including the temple of Amun & Hathor as well as the temple of Seti I, located not far from the town.
As of the reign of the pharaoh Horemheb till the eventual end decline and abandoning of Deir el medina, housing was allotted by the pharaoh for the workers of his tomb. Eventually these houses were passed down through the family from one generation to the next. They varied in sizes however all followed a basic plan. This included steps from the street descending down to the door of the house with the entrance room holding niches for offering in front of painted icons of gods. Many archaeological discoveries by Bruyere, suggest these were of the goddess Bes( patron of fertility). The houses were constructed of rubbles bases, mud brick and walls were shared between neighbouring houses.
From the 19th dynasty onwards, due to the narrow roads built through Deir el medina, it is believed by archeologists that the villagers may have used the network of roofs of the houses as a way of transporting themselves from one point of the village to the next. According to pharaoh Horemhebs plans which were found by Jarsolav Cerny (1929-1970) in many ostraca, housing of the tomb workers was based off their working “gangs” with the right ‘gang’ on the right side of the village and the left on the ‘other’.
The Ramesside period, which refers to the 19th and early 20th Dynasty so called because of the eleven reigning pharaohs named Ramsses, was the height of life and prosperity at Deir el medina, thus reflected by the immense amount of work taking place in the Valley of the Kings, such as the tomb of the great and long reigning Pharaoh Ramesses II who was buried in the valley around 1213 BC (19th Dynasty).
After the capital of Thebes was moved by the new Pharaoh Smendes, to the Delta at the end of the 20th Dynasty, a new cemetery for the royal was established along with it and eventually worked ceased in the valley of the kings and the town was abandoned for ever, until being discovered in the 18th century AD.
Little information is known about the initial inhabitants of Deir-El Medina, however in accordance to paintings found inside many tombs and buildings of the residents of Medina, Amenhotep (belonging to the 18th dynasty to rule Egypt) was the pharaoh who organised the first ‘gang’ of tomb builders and is presumed to have founded medina. Along with his mother Queen Ahmose-Nefetari, they were worshipped as the patron gods and protectors of the village. Despite the little information known about the village during this period it is estimated , due to house foundations discovered, the early village of Deir El Medina started off with about twelve houses lining a dirt track. The pharaoh Thutmose I was the first person to be buried in the valley in the kings and the archaeologist Bruyere discovered his name stamped on the mudbricks of the initial walls of the village.
Towards the end of the 18th dynasty, Akhenaten ascended to the throne and moved the capital from Thebes to the new city he built ‘Tell el Amarna’, work in the Valley of the kings stopped and with no work to do, most of the inhabitants of Deir el medina deserted the town. This period in the history Medina is referred to as ‘Amarna, and during excavation by Bernard Bruyere (1917-47) red brick and red as well as black soil was excavated, indicating a fire which consumed a part of the village .After the death of Akhenaten, work in the valley resumed and many returned to medina for work.
The last Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty, was the warrior pharaoh Horemheb who reigned from 1306 BC - 1319 BC. He re-established Deir El Medina and constructed its lasting plan in a more structured style. By the 20th dynasty, Deir el medina was a structured and defenced village. The village was surrounded by a six metre high and 105 cm thick, mud brick wall which was later reconstructed with stone. At each end of the town, a gate was located and were accessed by the original main road that ran through the middle of the town from north to south . Being located in the desert, Medina did not have any ways of retrieving water from within the town and a community well was made, 15 minutes away from the north gate, which was filled by water carriers from the Nile. Individual water jars were placed in front of wealthier houses to store water for the week. Being a town working with the “to be “ spirits and also close to the Religious Capital of Egypt, the people of Medina constructed many temples to worship their deities including the temple of Amun & Hathor as well as the temple of Seti I, located not far from the town.
As of the reign of the pharaoh Horemheb till the eventual end decline and abandoning of Deir el medina, housing was allotted by the pharaoh for the workers of his tomb. Eventually these houses were passed down through the family from one generation to the next. They varied in sizes however all followed a basic plan. This included steps from the street descending down to the door of the house with the entrance room holding niches for offering in front of painted icons of gods. Many archaeological discoveries by Bruyere, suggest these were of the goddess Bes( patron of fertility). The houses were constructed of rubbles bases, mud brick and walls were shared between neighbouring houses.
From the 19th dynasty onwards, due to the narrow roads built through Deir el medina, it is believed by archeologists that the villagers may have used the network of roofs of the houses as a way of transporting themselves from one point of the village to the next. According to pharaoh Horemhebs plans which were found by Jarsolav Cerny (1929-1970) in many ostraca, housing of the tomb workers was based off their working “gangs” with the right ‘gang’ on the right side of the village and the left on the ‘other’.
The Ramesside period, which refers to the 19th and early 20th Dynasty so called because of the eleven reigning pharaohs named Ramsses, was the height of life and prosperity at Deir el medina, thus reflected by the immense amount of work taking place in the Valley of the Kings, such as the tomb of the great and long reigning Pharaoh Ramesses II who was buried in the valley around 1213 BC (19th Dynasty).
After the capital of Thebes was moved by the new Pharaoh Smendes, to the Delta at the end of the 20th Dynasty, a new cemetery for the royal was established along with it and eventually worked ceased in the valley of the kings and the town was abandoned for ever, until being discovered in the 18th century AD.