When was deir el medina discovered

For the reconstruction, apart from the excavation data and information, there are also current data which allow for a comparison of the area with what it would have looked like in the past. Apart from the images in the viewer, on request, it is possible to have videos or other images from different perspectives. Deir el-Medina , on the west bank of the Nile in front of ancient Thebes modern Luxor , is a small and narrow desert valley behind the hill of Qurnet Murrai.

This was the village inhabited by workers artisans and artists who built and decorated the tombs of the Valley of Kings and those of the royal family members in the Valley of Queens between the XVIII and XX dynasty. To the west of the village, at the foot of the Thebes mountains, are the rupestrian and semi-rupestrian tombs of the Ramesses period XIX and XX dynasty with the remains of their pyramid superstructures.

In another necropolis dating back to the first half of the XVIII dynasty, located on the side of the Qurnet Murrai hill to the east of the village, there are rupestrian tombs without superstructures or decorations.

To the north of the site there is the temple, almost perfectly preserved, dedicated to the goddess Hathor and built during the reign of Ptolemy IV B.

Sartini, the varnishes and resins used on the coffins have been studied by Margaret Serpico. Head end and head wall; b. Left wall of coffin; c. Lid; d. Right wall of coffin. Left wall of the box; b. Right wall of the box; c. Head wall; d. Foot wall. Left wall of box; b. Head wall. Drawings of the coffin of Bakiset.

Head-end of the lid. Lid; c. Lateral view of the foot; d. Foot board; e. Head board of the box; box; f. Left wall of the box; h. Right wall of the box. Coffin of Menkheper. Right wall of the box; b.

Left wall of the coffin; d. Head wall; e. Sinew tie joints; f. Jointed edge with a coat of glued pieces of fabric. Coffin fragments from Pit Drawing of the coffin of Maya from Tell el-Amarna image from Kemp , fig.

Coffin of Setau. Left wall of the box; c. Head wall with separated edge; d. Coffin of the anonymous woman. Coffin of Bakiset. Lid; b. Lid edge; c. Drawing of the lid; d. Box; e. Head wall; f. Foot board; g. Box of Bakiset. Right wall; b. Left wall. Previous scientific analyses of samples of varnishes on funerary objects in museum collections has shown that the yellow varnish generally consists entirely or mostly of Pistacia spp. It is most obvious when coating polychrome decoration with a yellow or white background, but was frequently applied to black style coffins of this period, including sometimes over the black background.

The black background itself may consist of black paint or black varnish. Notably, visual identification of the presence and extent of the yellow and black varnishes is, in most instances, surprisingly difficult even with the help of a digital microscope. As a result, it should be noted that these and most of the other fragments often have a mostly matte surface which obscures the tell-tale glossy appearance of the varnishes.

Interestingly, however, scientific analysis of samples from coffins in museum collections has shown that some matte black coatings which look like paint may in fact be mixtures containing low quantities of resin. Moreover, when yellow varnish has been applied over a black painted undercoat, it can make the surface appear darker and shinier, giving a convincing impression of a glossy black varnish and making distinction of the layers problematic. For a summary of the varnishes present on the other fragments, see Table 1.

In addition, there is some limited evidence of the downward dripping of the varnish on this side suggesting that the box was horizontal as the varnish dried fig.

This may have been deliberate in part but certainly in places is clearly due to disintegration of the yellow varnish as can be seen on the upper area of the foot board fig. As the varnish is typically very friable, it often breaks along the hairline fractures and easily disengages from the underlying surface. Therefore, it is not possible to determine distinct edges that would offer evidence of selective varnishing. There are, however, a number of small irregular patches of a glossy black deposit on the upper flat edges of the proper left side of the box fig.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to trace the patches over the edge to the surface with any confidence and thus further investigation is needed. Although it is not uncommon for the yellow varnish to take away the painted surface beneath when it disengages, this undercoat seems too homogenous and smooth to be the remains of the black coating. This raises the question of whether this is due to two layers of black colouring deliberately applied to the coffin or evidence of reuse.

Notably, there seems to be no evidence of decoration visible on this substrate to clearly imply reuse. Here, yellow varnish is still evident at least in places over the black background, but the white pyramid itself was almost completely avoided apart from very few accidental overlaps. While there are areas where the black background colour is matte and mottled dark grey to black, again probably due to dirt and damage, notably in one break across the black surface viewed with a microscope there appears to be a relatively thick black glossy coating suggesting that black varnish may be present.

Where the yellow varnish extends onto the black areas the surface appears much darker and glossier but, certainly in the wig area on the box head end, the varnish has given the dark background more of a very dark brown-black colour rather than black.

Also on the wig, the varnish can be seen on the black striations but the largely unvarnished yellow painted bands have mostly flaked away, exposing the black matte undercoat fig. Craquelure is visible on some parts of these and some areas for example on the proper left side display another feature of pistacia resin, namely its tendency to become paler yellow, matte and powdery where disturbed fig.

The varnish can also be seen in places on the box over the black undercoat, particularly on the better preserved proper left side, and on part of the wig on the head end. This could be an example of random varnishing but at least in part is certainly also the result of significant areas of disengagement of the yellow varnish, exposing the black background beneath fig.

It also seems unlikely that the standing figure of Isis on the exterior lid foot board was covered with varnish. However, study of the black background reveals a great deal of variation in the colour and appearance, with matte dark grey areas visible below darker, glossier patches fig. While at first glance these black glossy areas would seem to be black varnish, they are in part quite orange in colour and seem to show evidence of craquelure, as well as becoming lighter where disturbed, features typical for pistacia resin.

If so, then the presence of a yellow varnish coating under, rather than over, the yellow painted decoration would be very unusual. If this is yellow varnish, it raises the question of whether the coating relates to the finished coffin or to the fragments of wood used to manufacture it.

It should be noted, though, that the same mottled orangey-black coating occurs on the lid fragments and on the box suggesting a more systematic application and there is also one small area visible with the microscope where it appears that yellow varnish can be detected over the white gesso beneath the black fig.

Also of note, if this were black varnish, then it would appear that this was added over black paint resulting in a double layer of black as seen on the coffin of Setau.

In either case, whether yellow varnish over black paint or two coatings of black, it seems that some type of layering is present and consistent with the other indications of reuse. The probability that there are three layers present, black paint, black varnish and yellow varnish, seems less likely overall, but since the coffin was constructed from a number of pieces, some reused, the possibility of variation in surface treatments across the coffin cannot be excluded.

It therefore seems most likely, on present evidence, that this is an atypical occurrence of yellow varnish over black paint but under yellow decoration. There is no indication of another coating of yellow varnish above this. This is in fact quite common for black varnish since the composition can vary considerably. From the areas which could be studied with a microscope, the shininess of the coating could also be seen along some of the broken edges and sections.

There was, however, no evidence of obvious inclusions to explain the unevenness of the surface. The color of the black coating is indeed very dark and despite some tiny patches that might appear to be slightly lighter and more matte at magnification, this is most probably again due to dirt on the surface.

There is no evidence of the orangey color that could indicate a yellow varnish over the surface or indeed anything in the appearance suggestive of pistacia resin although the resin could of course be present in the mixture. The absence of yellow varnish is of particular interest given that so many of the other rediscovered coffins and coffin fragments do seem to have evidence of it.

The reason for the seeming omission here is not clear and, while perhaps unlikely, it is possible that other areas of the coffin did have evidence of varnish. Table 2. While most of the examples do follow expected practices for the application of these coatings, some clearly show anomalies that deserve further study.

Together with the evidence for re-use and improvised construction techniques, these variations highlight the complexity of coffin production. However, two further important aspects of coffin manufacture should now be added for consideration: the identification of the different wood species used and an investigation of the intriguing practice of applying red pigment to different assembly areas of the coffin.

Yellow varnish on the proper right side of the box showing variation in the colour, craquelure and an area of thickened dripping; b. Top of the foot board of the lid showing red-orange yellow varnish, patches of mud and places where the varnish has disengaged to reveal the yellow paint beneath; c. Shiny black deposit on the flat edge on the proper left wall of the box. Wig area on the box head wall with matte black background, yellow painted striations and glossy orange-coloured yellow varnish primarily over black striations; b.

Example of yellow varnish with patches of darker glossy craquelure and paler, matte, disturbed areas on the upper proper left side of the foot end.

Example of yellow varnish covered with a thin coating of mud on the proper right side of lid, lower shoulder area. Example of yellow varnish displaying craquelure and disengaging completely from the surface on the proper right side of lid, lower shoulder area. Wig area on box head wall showing mottled black matte and glossy surface beneath the yellow painted striations; b. Glossy orange patches on the black undercoat and over an exposed area of gesso on the proper right side of the case wall.

Coffin box wall with lateral band of yellow painted text over black varnish; b. Detail of box wall showing mottled dark grey to black varnish background with uneven surface. More rarely, imported woods such as Cupressus sempervirens L.

Indeed, it is not a question here of large, well-cut boards specifically prepared for the manufacture of these coffins, but of fragments that have been recut and adapted to the spaces that required filling at the time of assembly.

Moreover, different species may be used for the construction of one coffin: the boards used for the long sides of the box may all be made of Ficus sycomorus L. Some species were possibly chosen for a specific use, in particular for the manufacture of tenons which requires a dense wood as is generally recognized. Although red pigment was often used to contour figures and enhance details on the black coffins and planks from Deir el-Medina, a more specific application of red colouring to different areas of the lids and boxes may also be observed.

On the four most complete coffins, namely those of Menkheper, Setau, Bakiset and an anonymous woman, red colouring can be seen at the junction between the box and the lid, at joints between the boards, or between two pieces of wood figs 1, 2a, b; 3a, b; 4a, b, d, f.

This red was applied in a very thin layer by the artisan at the time of assembling the object and was thus hidden once the object had been fully constructed. This colour has been the subject of several studies 80 that have highlighted its seemingly contradictory nature. The symbolism of red is ambiguous, 81 dangerous as it is linked to the god Seth 82 but also the source of protection. On the coffin of Menkheper, for example, the red colour is visible between the main board and the fragments assembled at the end of the left wall figs 1b, 14 and at the joints between on the composite wig of the coffin figs 1c, 5b.

While red was applied to most of the joints on the coffins of Setau and Menkheper fig. Given the importance of protecting the deceased, it is difficult to understand the reason s for the variations in application seen on these coffins: was this a deliberate choice on the part of the carpenter who would perhaps have thought some spaces more vulnerable than others? Would a sporadic application of the red colour have been considered sufficient to be effective on the whole coffin?

Therefore, this inconsistent use of the colour red clearly corresponds to the assembly phase of the coffins. In fact, the presence of this colour seems specific for its function: no trace of wood that has been reused and painted red beforehand could be identified.

The reason for these variations has yet to be determined. Perrot was the first to mention the prophylactic nature of the red colouring applied to vulnerable areas of the coffin, this usage has also subsequently been discussed by other authors. Indeed, it is not limited to 18th Dynasty yellow-decorated black coffins, such as those from Deir el-Medina, but extends back to wooden coffins from the Old Kingdom 90 and Middle Kingdom 91 and continues at least to the 21st Dynasty.

Notably, however, when the texts are associated with the red colouring, they are always written over the red, never covered by the colour. Grallert has indicated the use of these formulae on coffins found in the various major necropolises of the period: Asyut, Meir, Beni Hasan, Deir el-Bersha, Saqqara and Thebes. Grallert, however, never mentioned the presence of red colouring, which is clearly visible, for example, on the coffins from Asyut fig.

In fact, in general, red is used much more often than hidden texts. My study of several coffins dating from the beginning of the 12th Dynasty from Asyut indicates that the formulae were engraved rather than written with ink on coffins made of cedar. In these cases, red is absent. Could the use of cedar wood, a reddish wood, explain the absence of red?

Conversely, examination of the cedar coffins discovered at Qubbet el-Hawa shows an extensive use of red at the joints but, with one exception, no hidden texts. Amongst the fragments of the cedar coffin found in the grave of the Governor Sarenput QH31 was a tenon inscribed with a hieratic formula over the red colouring.

Other aspects of the use of colour and text also deserve consideration. As Harco Willems demonstrated with regard to the Coffin Texts, could the use of hidden colour and text have been a prerogative restricted to a select elite of Egyptian society? Could Text B, a prayer to Nut or Isis, which was spoken to remove the bandages of the deceased, be linked to the archaeological reality of mummification or does it correspond to a theoretical or even ideal vision of the body of the deceased?

A systematic and comparative study of the use of these formulas, in conjunction with possible associations with the colour red, may help to clarify this point. For example, this dual use of red and regenerative formulae is apparent on the coffin of Puia Turin Museo Egizio Provv.

Several pegs from this coffin Turin Museo Egizio Provv. Nicholas R. Moreover, it is evident from the published photographs that the formula was inscribed on red pigment although this was not mentioned.

These tenons come from a coffin discovered in one of the royal tombs excavated by the Egyptian-British mission in the Western Wadis led by Piers Litherland, dating from the 18th Dynasty. Notably, the formulae of the mitre inscriptions leave their hidden spaces to migrate to the coffin box and lid. Grallert related this change to the evolution of the shape of the coffin from a rectangular to an anthropomorphic shape in the latter Middle Kingdom.

With this migration, not only are the texts no longer hidden but they are in some instances placed in specific spaces on the box and lid Texts A-C and E. Instead, examination of the decoration on these coffins reveals the use of several texts inherited from the mitre inscriptions A, B, C, G and H.

However, while the mitre inscription mentions Nut, Isis appears in her place on black coffins. You might remove the mummy bandages upon me by the hand of him who did this against me! Ny belongs to me. I will not be tired. These my limbs will not be weary. To be recited by Anubis: the Osiris PN justified will not be tired.

These his limbs will not be weary, the Osiris PN justified! May you place him under the imperishable stars that are in you! To be recited by PN. In this context, the symbolic use of the colour red as associated with blood or flesh must be considered.

John H. This is particularly noticeable on the white coffin of Puia Turin Provv. As observed on the rectangular coffins of the Middle Kingdom, several tenons with traces of red were inscribed with hidden texts. Thus, this coffin clearly illustrates a transitional phase in which the hidden texts gradually migrate to the decorated surface. Applied by the carpenter as a final step, this practice shows that the artisans had an expert knowledge of the protective power of the colour red and its ability to protect vulnerable parts of the coffin.

The change in the shape of the coffin probably explains why the hidden texts of the Middle Kingdom, still used by Thutmosis III, changed position to become part of the decorative scheme on key areas of the anthropoid coffin, thereby still protecting and revitalizing the deceased. For example, Text B, an invocation to Nut or Isis to remove the bandages of the deceased, could relate either to mummification or to the idealised version of the body, freed from the bandages.

Through these investigations, possible links between the different coffins can be explored. The comprehensive analysis of the black coffins with yellow decoration discovered at Deir el-Medina is the first milestone in the work carried out by the members of the wood team within the French mission at Deir el-Medina.

They would add a layer of a mixture of calcareous sand, clay, and straw and then another layer of plaster mixed with water. After the preparation of the walls was completed, the artists would begin their work drawing on the walls with red ocher and then afterward they would make the corrections needed using black chalk. After the drawing is done, it would be the time for the sculptures that would carve the mixture used in the first phase into bas-reliefs.

Then it would be the turn of the decorators who would color the bas-reliefs with different paints. Some of these paints and colors were natural, like the ones derived from ground rocks from the mountains, while others were artificially made like the popular ancient Egyptian blue color which was manufactured by heating copper with sand and alkali.

This means that while the diggers were still working in the innermost part of the tomb, other sections of the tomb located close to the mountains were already completed and finished by other workers. Following this approach, the ancient Egyptian builders and workers succeeded in constructing tombs, rather small, but they were able to complete a tomb only in few months time, which is very impressive. Behind the town of Deir El Medina, situated on the slopes of the mountains, the workers and artists who once lived in the town constructed their own tombs where they were buried near their greatest achievements.

These tombs, much smaller than those of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, were nevertheless quite elegant. They consisted of a cult chapel with the entrance ornamented with a mud-brick pyramid and a burial chamber which was decorated with charming paintings. Inerkhau, the headman of the lord of the two lands in the place of the truth during the reign of Ramses III and Ramses VI had his tomb constructed in the tombs of Deir El Medina which are featured with paintings illustrating passages from the Book of the Dead.

The tomb of Inerkhau was unearthed in the middle of the 19th century by the famous German archeologist Richard Lepsuis. Lepsuis removed two paintings which were inside the tomb of Amenophis and his wife and they are now on display in the Museum of Berlin.

A vestibule which was originally rich with different paintings precedes the burial chamber. Most of the painting and the decoration works of the tomb are inspired by the Book of the Dead, the most important manuscript of the burial rituals and the underworld of ancient Egypt.