From Deir el-Medina, Egypt
19th Dynasty, around 1250 BC
19th Dynasty, around 1250 BC
Egypt: the birthplace of bureaucracy?
Deir el-Medina is the remains of a walled village for the craftsmen who built
and decorated the New Kingdom tombs in the Valley of the Kings. It appears that
a close record was kept of workmen's attendance, the materials used, and so on.
This ostrakon seems to be a workman's
register for 280 days of Year 40 of the reign of Ramesses II (about 1279-1213
BC). Only about 70 of these days seem to have been full working days. Aside from
holidays and other non-working periods, by Year 40 of Ramesses's reign the royal
tomb would have been substantially finished, and it is possible that men were
taken off onto other projects.A list of forty names is arranged in columns of hieratic script on the right-hand edge of each side. To the left are dates written in black in a horizontal line. The reasons for absences are written above the dates in red ink. They are varied and give us a fascinating insight into some aspects of life in ancient Egypt. Illness figures prominently; a couple of examples of illnesses of the eyes are mentioned. One workman functioned as a doctor and was often away attending on others. Absences due to deaths of relatives are recorded, as are also references to purifications, perhaps relating to childbirth. Frequently a day missed is down to a man 'being with his boss'; other sources show that workmen did frequently do work for their superiors. Occasionally a man is away 'building his house', or at 'his festival', and there are even examples of drinking, in particular 'drinking with Khonsu'.
There is mention of a Qeniherkhepeshef, who is also alluded to as 'the scribe' in several places. The British Museum also has a shabti figure and a funerary headrest belonging to Qeniherkhepeshef.
J.J. Janssen, 'Absence from work by the necropolis workmen of Thebes', Studien zur altägyptischen Kul, 8 (1980)
R. Parkinson, Cracking codes: the Rosetta St (London, The British Museum Press, 1999)
J. Cerny and A.H. Gardiner, Hieratic ostraca I (Oxford University Press, 1957)
S. Quirke and A.J. Spencer, The British Museum book of anc (London, The British Museum Press, 1992)
British Museum
britishmuseum.org
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