Deir el-Madina - Deir el-Madīna

View of Deir el-Madīna to the east

Deir el-Madina · ‏دير المدينة‎

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Deir el-Madina

Deir el-Madina, also Deir el-Medina, Deir el-Medineh, Dêr el-Medîne, Arabic:دير المدينة‎, Dair al-Madina, „the city monastery“, Is an archaeological site on the Nile west side of Luxor between the Ramesseum and Madīnat Hābū as well as west of Qurnat Muraʿī. Here are in one ensemble the remains of a settlement of necropolis workers, the cemetery workers, and their graves from the Ramessid period - this is unique in Egypt - as well as several sanctuaries from the New Kingdom and the Greco-Roman period. The archaeological site got its name from the Greek Hathor Temple, which was used as a temple in the Coptic Christian period. This archaeological site is a highlight for travelers to Egypt.

background

This archaeological site presents a special feature. Not just that we're here Not find the graves of members of the royal family or high officials, but those of craftsmen and artists who were responsible for the construction of the royal tombs. These necropolis workers were called "Servants in Truth Square". In the vicinity of the graves was located also the settlement of these workers. At the time Thutmose ’I. the settlement became plain and simple Paa-demi, "The settlement", then later Set-A3t, "The great place" or Set-Ma3t Ḥor Jmenty W3set, called the “Place of Truth in West Thebes”.

With the relocation of the ancient Egyptian capital to Thebes, today's LuxorIn the New Kingdom the settlement of the necropolis workers was established, whose inhabitants were exclusively responsible for the construction of the graves of the kings and officials. As in the 21st dynasty the capital and of course the royal cemeteries after Tanis were relocated, the local settlement became superfluous.

The settlement was closed with a wall, almost like a ghetto, so that the workers could not divulge any secrets. Around 60 to 120 workers plus their family members lived here in the settlement. The residents were miners, stonemasons, draftsmen, plasterers, plasterers, bricklayers, carpenters, but also clerks, guards, police officers and unskilled workers such as basket carriers. The supply came from outside. No land or farm workers belonged to the settlement.

Left half of the Turin deposit papyrus

Abbott Tomb Raider Papyrus, now in the British Museum

Thousands of ostracas, inscribed fragments of stone, and papyri, such as those found in the village and in the well shaft north of the Ptolemaic Hathor temple, reported on the construction plans of the royal tombs and the life of the settlers. Before 1824 the Italian and French consul succeeded Bernardino Drovetti (1776–1852) one of the most spectacular papyrus finds: the so-called Turin deposit papyrus or Turin mine papyrus pTurin 1879 1899 1969 from the 20th dynasty, the gold and greywacke deposits along the Wādī el-Ḥammāmāt shows is the second oldest map in the world and the oldest and only ancient Egypt.^[1] Only the Sumerians were faster.

The mentioned written certificates also describe the work organization. Work was done nine days in a row, then there was a day off. In addition, there were of course a few public holidays. The workers were grouped into teams, which consisted of two groups, each with a foreman and twenty workers. And of course there was a meticulous record of the presence of the workers and the consumption of materials. The wages were mostly in the form of natural produce such as barley and Emmer, less often in money, paid. There was, of course, more for foremen than for ordinary workers.

As can be seen from the ostraka, the idea of ​​celebrating sickness already existed at this time. The reasons were, for example, a headache, or the wife: you had to help with the big laundry or was beaten up by your better half. Or you were just "lazy".

In the 20th dynasty the situation worsened and there was occasional lack of food. So it came under Ramses III to the world's first, in the so-called Turin strike papyrus pTurin 1880 documented in writing Strikes.^[2] But lawsuits were also conducted to punish, for example, theft and grave robbery. From the 16th year of Ramses ’IX reign. report several papyri, including the Abbott papyrus^[3]who have favourited Amherst Papyri^[4]who have favourited Mayer Papyri^[5] and the Harris A papyrus^[6], about a grave robbery in royal tombs, in which residents of this settlement were significantly involved, and the court proceedings.^[7]

Rock graves in the north of the cemetery

The residents of the village laid theirs on the eastern flank of the mountains to the west of the settlement Rock tombs at. However, this place was used as a cemetery, as a necropolis, even earlier. The oldest documents come from the 11th dynasty. Of course, the main part comes from the 18th – 20th centuries. Dynasty. The graves were often laid out as pyramidal tombs with a courtyard in front of which the grave shafts were located. The workers made their own graves as far as their free time allowed. Over time there was hardly any space for more graves. So old, abandoned graves were reused. Today about 50 decorated graves are documented in this cemetery. The protective goddess of the necropolis was the snake-headed one Meretseger, for whom there is a separate one west of the burial mound 25.72750832.5985061 sanctuary(25 ° 43 ′ 39 ″ N.32 ° 35 ′ 55 ″ E) gave.

In the Execution and the subject the tombs differ, of course, from those of kings and officials. The chambers were carved out of the rock, and the vaulted chambers to be decorated were shaped with brickwork. The mostly multi-colored, more rarely single-colored, was then applied to the plaster^[8] Painting executed. The colors are still well preserved in many graves to this day. The depictions contain images of the afterlife and sayings of the Book of the Dead^[9], but no depictions of the deceased in their daily work. If activities are shown, then these are mostly field work in the hereafter. However, the occupation of the grave lord and his family members were mentioned. The graves were often used as family burial sites. Tools and household items, furniture and cosmetics were given to the deceased.

In the northern part there were several Sanctuaries erected, such as a Hathor temple under Seti I and an Amun and Hathor temple under Ramses II. In Ptolemaic, i.e. Greek, times the temple for Hathor and Maat was built. It was used as a monastery in Coptic times, from which the modern name is derived: it is the actual city monastery.

The archaeological site of Deir el-Madīna is not known that long. Visited in January 1834 Robert Hay (1799–1863) the tomb of Paschedu, TT 3 (TT = Theban Tomb, Theban Tomb), and described it in his unpublished manuscripts.^[10] The first real grave find in January 1886 with subsequent excavation concerns the grave of Sennedjem, TT 1. Between 1905–1909 the Italian Egyptologist dug in the necropolis Ernesto Schiaparelli (1856–1928), whose most important find was that of the Tomb of Cha, TT 8.^[11] A German excavation team under Georg Möller worked here in 1911 and 1913.^[12] The most extensive excavations were carried out by a team led by the French Egyptologist Bernard Bruyère (1879–1971) from 1922 to 1940 and from 1945 to 1951. The numerous ostraka finds were mainly made by the Czech Egyptologist Jaroslav Černý (1898–1970) worked up.

getting there

Map of Deir el-Madīna

There is a ticket booth about 5 kilometers from the ferry landing on the west bank, about 500 meters west of the Colossi of Memnon (25.72282832.604573Ticket booth at Qurnat Mura'i1 25 ° 43 '22 "N.32 ° 36 '17 "E), where you also have to buy the tickets for Deir el-Madīna. The entrance fee is LE 100 and for students LE 50 for the tombs and for the Hathor Temple. For the grave of Paschedu, an additional LE 30 or LE 15 must be paid (as of 11/2019).

From now on, the paved road leads directly to the west of the settlement Qurnat Muraʿī (25.72521532.602873Qurnat Mura'i1 25 ° 43 ′ 31 ″ N.32 ° 36 '10 "E), which is located in the area of ​​the crossroads, directly to the archaeological site. The distance from the ticket booth is just under a kilometer. There is a parking lot for vehicles (25.72697432.600909parking spot2 25 ° 43 '37 "N.32 ° 36 ′ 3 ″ E) in the south of the site, the rest of the way has to be covered on foot on partially sandy soil.

Tourist Attractions

From the parking lot you can already see the remains of the ancient settlement in the east. To the left, to the west, are the graves of the necropolis workers. The publicly accessible graves are only a few meters away from each other. In the north of the village there is the Ptolemaic Hathor temple directly on a steep slope.

As described under Arrival, you have to get the tickets in advance at the central ticket booth.

Photography is prohibited in the graves.

Tomb of Sennedjem, TT 1

Pyramid at the tomb of Sennedjem

Door to the tomb of Sennedjem, nowadays in Egyptian Museum in Cairo

The grave TT 1 (TT = Theban Tomb, Theban grave,مقبرة سن-نيجم‎, 25.72760232.60062Sennedjem's tomb2 25 ° 43 ′ 39 ″ N.32 ° 36 ′ 2 ″ E) belonged to the Sennedjem (Sennudem), which means "the brother is pleasant". He was a “servant in the place of truth”, that is, a simple necropolis worker without a prominent position. He lived at the time of the kings Seti I and Ramses II in the 19th dynasty. His father was called Chaʿbechnet. With his wife Iinerferti he had two sons, Chaʿbechnet, buried in grave TT 2B, and Chonsu, buried in grave TT 2. His house in the settlement is also known.

The grave of Sennedjem was found by Salam Abu Duhi and his three friends and dug just a day later. On January 31, 1886, the find was made by Sheikh ʿOmar Gaston Maspero (1846–1916), the head of the Egyptian Antiquities Service, reported. There were further excavations and cleaning work until 1924. When it was found, the coffin chamber was still untouched, the seal was intact. In the coffin chamber, 20 mummies, i.e. burials from several generations, were found, including the wife of Sennedjem, Iineferti. The grave equipment included furniture, tools, architectural tools, canopic boxes, shabti coffins, a toilet box of his wife, etc., which are now in the Egyptian Museum to Cairo exhibited are. It is believed that the grave was created or designed by his son Chonsu.

One belongs to the grave Superstructurethat one should take a look at, also because it has been partially reconstructed. The grave had a 12.4 × 9.4 square meter courtyard, which was enclosed by a stone wall and had a pylon as a facade. At the rear of the courtyard were three pyramids on a common base. The southern one was for his father (7.5 meters high), the middle one for Sennedjem himself (6.85 meters high) and the northern one for his son Chonsu (6 meters high). The outside was plastered and whitewashed. All pyramids had an entrance to a chapel. There was a niche for a limestone stele above the entrance. The grave pyramids were crowned with a relief pyramidion (pyramid tip). The chapels had representations, but they were only preserved in the Chonsu's chapel.

In front of the grave pyramids were the three grave shafts, about 1.4 × 0.7 meters in cross-section. The shafts were lined with air-dried mud bricks and, in the case of Sennedjem's father and son, led into roughly hewn chambers.

Son of the tomb lord under his mother's chair Iinerferti (western south wall)

Osiris in the shrine (north wall)

Anubis bends over the mummy of Sennedjem (north wall)

The tomb of Sennedjem is much better designed. It consisted of three vestibules connected by stairs from east to west; the shaft led to the easternmost room. Another staircase ran north from the middle one to the actual burial chamber. And only the latter is decorated. The antechambers are roughly square with a side length of 3.5 meters. Today a modern corridor leads to the grave.

The Coffin chamber is 5.12 meters long, 2.61 meters wide, 2.4 meters high and had a vaulted ceiling. It was covered with bricks. You enter the chamber on the southern long side. The entrance area is already decorated, the door leaf is now in the Cairo Museum. On the east side, i.e. on the right, you can see the sun tomcat killing the Apophis snake in front of you ischedTree above a large inscription. On the opposite side you can see the god Aker, who is depicted as a pair of lions carrying the sun in the horizon. The tomb lord can be seen on the ceiling as he worships the sun on the horizon.

Let's start with the walls before turning to the ceiling. The West half of the south wall branches two registers (image strips). In the upper register there is an excerpt from the Book of the Dead 17 (burial and transfiguration of the deceased in the world of the dead): The mummy of the burial master is located between Isis (left) and Nephthys in the form of falcons. Below you can see the relatives on the left, in the middle the first son of Sennedjem with his wife in the presence of their son who donates a water offering, and on the right the grave master Sennedjem with his wife Iineferti. Next to the chairs you can see the children of the deceased and in front of the couple their son Chonsu as sem-Priest giving water. The people are depicted in white robes, with ointment cones on their heads that give off a pleasant scent.

On the following West wall one sees the grave lord and his wife in front of thirteen gods of the underworld, who crouch in two rows behind Osiris (above) and Re-Harachte. The inscription refers to the Book of the Dead 190 (award of the grave lord). On the tympanum you can see the gods Anubis and Udjat above each grave in their function as guardians of the doors.

At the North face, so the following long wall, you can see three representations of the Book of the Dead verse 125 (What to say when you get to this Hall of Complete Truth). On the left you can see the god of the dead Anubis in front of the mummy of the tomb and in the middle the shrine of Osiris. On the right you can see the result of the positive judgment of the dead. The justified grave lord is led from Anubis to Osiris. In front of them is the kneeling, reverent grave lord in front of a sacrificial structure.

Married couple fighting for flax in the rush field (east wall)

Sennedjem plowing in the rush fields (east wall)

On the East wall are the grave lord and his wife in Sechet-iaru-Showed rush fields, which is surrounded by water and serves as a place of residence for the blessed, redeemed from death after the trials in the court of the dead. Above, the couple worships five gods, behind them their son is in a boat (reed boat). On the far right you can see another son performing the mouth opening ceremony on his father so that he can breathe even in death (Book of the Dead 110, Proverbs of the Sacrificial Field). Below you can see the couple harvesting twice: above they harvest grain with a sickle, below they pull flax out of the earth, and Sennedjem plows the field. At the lower end you can see the plants of the rushes, including date palms. On the tympanum you can see the sun barge of the Re-Harachte-Atum, on the bow of which there is a decorative mat with a swallow as a symbol of eternity. This bark is worshiped by baboons on either side.

On the remaining one Eastern half of the south wall one can see above the representations of the Book of the Dead 145 (Proverbs to enter the inaccessible gates of the Osiris empire in the rush field): here are ten guards with a knife and their gates. The grave lord must know it so that he can pass it. In the lower register you can see the feast of the family members of the deceased.

Married couple in front of the tree goddess Nut (ceiling north side)

The newly born sun as a calf carrying the morning star (watercolor, ceiling south side)

At the blanket there are two vignettes each with four vignettes for the Book of the Dead. On the south side, from left to right, these are Proverb 109 (Proverb from knowing the eastern Bas): The calf symbolizes the sun, newly born in the east, which carries the morning star. In the next vignette, the tomb lord must “know the Bas (powers) of Buto” (Proverb 112): you see the tomb lord in front of Horus and the protectors of the canopic jugs, Amset and Hapi. In the third vignette, the tomb lord must use the western Bas know (Proverbs 108) where the sun sets. Sennedjem stands before Western deities. The snake of Apophis over the horizon, which threatens the course of the sun, must be punished. The last vignette shows the grave lord in front of Thoth, Sia and Atum. Here he must "know the bas of Hermopolis" (Proverbs 116).

On the north side there are the next four vignettes (from left to right): Sennedjem stands at the gate of the east and west (Proverb 68: “To go out during the day”). In the second vignette you can see the boat of the Re, on her the use-Bird of Re, Re-Harachte-Atum and the great ninth gods (Proverb 100: “Book to perfect a deceased and to let him descend to the barque of Re”). In the third vignette you can see the grave lord and his wife in front of four deities, over whom the stars and the moon are (Proverbs 135: “To speak when the moon has rejuvenated on the 1st day of the month”). The last vignette shows the couple in front of the tree goddess Nut, who cares for the dead (Proverb 59: “To breathe air and to have water in the realm of the dead”).

Grave of Inherchau, TT 359

With the ticket for the grave of Sennedjem you can also visit the following grave TT 359, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the grave of Sennedjem.

It belongs Look inside (also Jn-ḥr-ḫʿw, Inḥerchaʿw, Inihercha, Inherkau) or. Onuris-cha. The "chief of the workers in the Truth Square" lived at the time of Ramses ’III. and Ramses ’IV. His father's name was Hajj and his wife was Web. The grave is first from the German Egyptologist Carl Richard Lepsius (1810–1884) visited and described around 1845,^[13] Another excavation was carried out by the French Egyptologist Bernard Bruyère (1879–1971) in 1930. The finds included vessels and coffin remains of the wife of the tomb lord. Inherchau had another grave, namely TT 299.

The grave of Inherchau also possessed as Superstructure a courtyard in which three shafts led to the underground burial chambers. To the northwest behind this courtyard are the grave rooms of the deceased.

An entrance leads to a transverse hall, from which a staircase leads to the adjoining vaulted longitudinal hall. The representations in the transverse hall have already been badly affected.

Grave lord and wife before kings and queens (after Lepsius)

At the right entrance side of the transverse hall one sees the grave lord in panther skin with the incense offering and his wife. You stand in front of two registers in which kings, queens and a prince are depicted. Above there are three kings (including Amenhotep I and Ahmose) and seven queens, below seven kings (including Ramses II and Mentuhotep II), a queen and a prince. At the end of the lower register is the painter Huj with a palette in his hands.

On the right narrow wall you can still see the wings of the goddess Nephthys.

Opposite on the left narrow wall you can see the remains of the winged goddess Isis, including the grave lord and his wife in front of the Hathor cow and below in front of nine gatekeepers into the underworld.

On the back wall there was once a now lost representation of Osiris.

in the Passage to the coffin chamber On the left reveal you can see the deceased with his son Hor-Min, who is holding a pallet, and on the opposite reveal the wife Web of the deceased with her daughter. Both face the coffin chamber.

No longer in the grave today: portraits of Amenophis I and Ahmosi-Nefertiri (after Lepsius)

The representations in the Coffin chamber are better preserved. The entrance walls of the burial chamber are now empty: here were the representations of Amenhotep I and his mother Ahmosi-Nefertiri. The representations were cut out and are now in the Donut Egyptian Museum.^[14]

On the long walls there are vignettes of the dead book in three registers each.

The sun tomcat kills the Apophis snake (left wall)

The “web priest at the beautiful place”, Ken, presents an Osiris figure and a ushabti box to the deceased's couple in the presence of several grandchildren (right wall).

On the left wall are in top register seven scenes shown. This is the grave lord with a staff first as he leaves the grave. Originally he would have turned towards Amenhotep I. A boat follows, on which the couple are under a canopy with their son Inherchau, who steers the boat. A large scarab holding a large ribbon is depicted under the boat. In the following the deceased is brought to Osiris by Thoth. In the so-called "negative confession of sin" that follows, the grave lord justifies himself - he has not sinned. Then the grave lord is led to the lake of fire by a monkey-headed god. Two barges drive behind it, on one of which you can still see a falcon's head with the sun disk. On the other boat are the gods Isis, Thoth, Chepre and Hu. Finally, the first four of fourteen regions of the realm of the dead follow, in which various glories await the deceased.

in the second register seven more scenes follow. First the kneeling dead worships a lotus flower in a pond. Then he worships three kneeling jackal-headed souls from Hierakonpolis (Nechen), in the following the green one use-Bird, a heron that represents the soul of Re or Osiris. Behind it, Anubis, followed by an Osiris emblem, holds a heart to the nose of the deceased's mummy. Furthermore, the kneeling grave lord worships the Horus falcon, and under one isched-Tree, the Apophis Serpent is killed by the hangover sun. Finally, under an empty safety net, there is Nacht-em-Mut, a head of work, with a long staff.

in the lowest register there are only three scenes, each of which takes place in the presence of the grave lord and his wife: two sons bring an incense and a water offering from one hes-Vase. Then follow six priests, the first is one semPriest in panther skin, with incense pans and hes-Vases. At the end they boiled a blind harper who played and sings a song in front of the couple.

On the right wall opposite shows that upper register five scenes (from right to left): The grave lord prays his ba- (Soul) bird sitting on a pylon. In addition, the grave lord worships the creator god Ptah. Now follows a longer text from the Book of the Dead 42 (saying to ward off damage done in Herakleopolis). Behind it sits a swallow on a hill, a form of existence that the deceased would like to adopt. At the end you see the deceased in front of the Aker lions, who carry the sun in the horizon.

in the following register there are six scenes: first (right) one sees the goddess Hathor, who was once turned to the king mother Ahmosi-Nefertiri. In the following scene, the deceased worships the sito-Snake, which appears here as the primordial deity. As a result, the grave lord prays four sab- Jackals that pull the sun barge in the underworld. Furthermore, a falcon-headed priest performs the mouth opening ceremony on the grave lord. Next come the seated deceased in front of his ka and the Western Hawk.

in the lower register three scenes are shown: on the right the couple is in front of a dining table. This is followed by five couples, many of whom are referred to as sons or daughters, and a priest with panther skin and a ram-headed staff in front of the seated deceased. Finally, there are gift-bearers, two men and a woman who bring the family of the deceased a figure of Osiris, a shabti box, a vase and a perfume bottle. In addition to the grave lord and his wife, who are both sitting on chairs, you can see four grandchildren, three girls and a boy.

At the Back wall one sees the deceased in a double scene: on the left he stands with his son Hor-Min in front of Ptah, on the right with his son Qen (e) na in front of Osiris.

Tomb of the Irinefer, TT 290

For a short time in 2010/2011 the tomb of Irinefer, TT 290, was opened instead of the tomb of Sennedjem.

Irinefer, also Irinūfer, was also a “servant in the place of truth in the West”. The grave is Ramesside. His parents were Siwazyt, chief of Amun's boat, and Tausret. His wife was called Mehitchati. The grave was discovered by Bernard Bruyère in February 1922, along with its neighboring grave, the grave of the Nu and the Night Min, TT 291. The finds include a sacrificial tablet of the tomb lord and various steles and fragments of stelae.

One belongs to his grave too Forecourt with a pylon at the front and two grave pyramids at the rear, it is 9.1 meters wide and 6.4 meters deep. From the courtyard three shafts lead to two graves. This is the tomb of Irinefer on the right and that of Nu and Nacht-Min, two necropolis workers, on the left. Both graves had chapels in the grave pyramids, which were also decorated. Both graves are also connected underground.

The shaft to the grave of Irinefer first leads into a roughly square room. A misshapen room, in which the third shaft ends, leads to the transverse coffin chamber of the Irinefer.

The walls of the Coffin chamber des Irinefer were clad with bricks that converge at the top in a vault. The entrance is on the south side, but is not in the axis, but almost near the right corner. The chamber is about 5.5 meters wide, 2.6 meters deep and about 2 meters high. The titles of the tomb lord are given on the outer posts. On the left reveal an Anubis jackal and relatives with offerings underneath. The opposite reveal contains a text from the Book of the Dead. The ceiling of the doorway shows the kneeling and winged goddess Nut.

The western entrance wall first shows representations in two registers. In the upper one you can see the grave lord and his wife adoring the (sun) calf between two trees. Below is the deceased in front of you use-Bird representing the soul of Re or Osiris, on a boat. This is followed by the adoring parents of the grave lord and the kneeling deceased as he offers a portrait of the goddess Maat to Ptah.

On the following western narrow wall one sees the god of death Anubis as he leans over the mummy of the tomb. On the north wall there are again representations in two registers: in the upper one the grave lord worships a falcon on a pylon, below the deceased is led by Anubis to Osiris.

On the tympanum on the right (eastern) wall there are two representations. On the one hand, this is the (lost) deceased, his son and his wife, who kneel down to worship Sobek as a crocodile, a snake and Chepre, who is sitting in front of a sacrificial structure. The second scene shows a Junmutef priest in front of 36 gods of the underworld.

Starting from the eastern entrance wall across the Narrow side except for the north wall, there are two more scenes that relate to the Book of the Dead. So one recognizes the tomb lord adoring Osiris and two gatekeepers as well as the so-called negative confession of sin - that is, the tomb lord has committed no sins - where the tomb lord is seen in front of a shrine with the baboon-shaped god Thot (twice), Schu and Maat sees.

At the Vaulted ceiling there are three representations: on the one hand, the kneeling grave master is drinking from a pond by a palm tree, on the other hand the Mehetwert cow is shown with a falcon at a pond. Furthermore, one sees the deceased with his son, how they worship Ptah, the ba-Bird of the deceased and the deceased in front of his grave. Five star gods are depicted in the middle.

Tomb of Paschedu, TT 3

A separate ticket is required for the grave of Paschedu!

Entrance to the tomb of Paschedu

Gods on the front left wall of the coffin chamber

Tympanum on the back wall of the coffin chamber

The owner of the tomb of the Paschedu, TT 3, ‏مقبرة باشيدو, Was foreman and servant at the Square of Truth and lived in the Ramesside period. He also had a second grave, the grave TT 326. His father was called Men (e) na, his mother Huj. With his wife Nedjembehdet he had two sons, Men (e) na and Kaha, and a daughter.

The grave was first mentioned in 1834 by the traveler Robert Hay (1799–1863).

The grave also has one Superstructure with a chapel. The shaft, now also a staircase, leads to three consecutive, west-facing chambers, of which only the rearmost one is decorated. Immediately in front of the back wall of the innermost chamber was the coffin. Other finds were shabtis (Museum Borély in Marseille) and a sacrificial tablet of his son Men (e) na.

The antechamber is 5 meters long, between 3 to 3.4 meters wide and 3 meters high. It was only roughly carved out of the rock, the ceiling has the shape of a vault. A tunnel-like entrance leads to the coffin chamber, which is about 3.9 meters long, 2.3 meters wide and about 2.5 meters high. The chamber has a vaulted ceiling.

On the reveals of the Entrance tunnels to the burial chamber there is a jackal with a scourge on a pylon. The jackals look at the grave entrance. The ceiling of the tunnel bears inscriptions.

Behind the tunnel on the right entrance wall is probably the most famous depiction of the grave: you see the grave lord kneeling on the ground under a palm tree, drinking water from a pond. On the opposite entrance wall you can see his relatives in three registers. In the upper left gusset there is a small tree goddess scene with the kneeling grave gentleman. On the tympanum of the entrance wall you can see the winged god Ptah-Sokar in a boat. At the ends of the boat, the sons Menna and Kaha can be seen worshiping the boat.

On the left, south wall there is only one big scene: the grave owner and his wife worship the falcon-shaped Horus in the presence of two children. Umrahmt wird die Szene von einer großen Inschrift, der Hymnus ist an Osiris und Horus gerichtet.

On the Nordwand sieht man den Grabherrn im Beisein seiner kleinen Tochter, wie er die sitzenden Götter Re-Harachte, Atum, Chepre, Ptah und den Djedpfeiler anbetet. Seitlich über dem Sarkophag, der heute fehlt, befanden sich Darstellungen der Abydosfahrt des Verstorbenen, und zwar links mit seinem Sohn, und rechts mit seiner Ehefrau und einem Kind im Boot.

At the Back wall ist nur der Tympanon mit einer Darstellung versehen: Osiris sitzt vor dem Westgebirge und dem falkengestaltigen Horus. Zwischen beiden Göttern befindet sich der kniende Grabherr und über ihn ein Udjat-Auge mit einem Gefäß mit Fackeln. An der rechten Seite befindet sich ein Dämon, der ebenfalls eine Fackel auf den Knien trägt. Der Sarkophag trug Inschriften wie das Negative Sündenbekenntnis und die Darstellungen des anbetenden Grabherrn und die des Anubis, der sich über die Mumie beugt.

At the Decke befinden sich zu beiden Seiten eine Götterreihe und dazwischen eine große Inschrift, eine Litanei an den Sonnengott Re. Die linke, südliche Reihe zeigt die acht Götter Osiris, Isis, Nut, Nu, Nephthys, Geb, Anubis und Upuaut. Die nördliche Reihe besteht aus den acht Göttern Osiris, Thoth, Hathor mit Sistrum, Re-Harachte, Neith, Selkis, Anubis und Upuaut. Alle Götter außer Osiris und Hathor besitzen ein Anch-Zeichen auf dem Knie.

Arbeitersiedlung

Arbeitersiedlung

Die Siedlung (25.72803732.601365Arbeitersiedlung3 25° 43′ 41″ N32° 36′ 5″ O) ist von einer Mauer umgeben, erstreckt sich über eine Fläche von 5.600 Quadratmetern und umfasst etwa 70 Häuser.

Die Grundmauern der Häuser sind noch erhalten. Sie standen eng nebeneinander und waren nur über enge Straßen erreichbar. Die Schmalseite der Häuser zeigte zur Straße, hier befanden sich auch die einzigen Fenster.

Die Häuser wurden aus Lehmziegeln errichtet und verputzt, das Fundament bestand aus Hausteinen. Die Häuser besaßen zwei Etagen mit je durchschnittlich 70 Quadratmetern und je zwei bis drei Zimmern. In einigen Fällen sieht man noch die untersten Treppenstufen zum Obergeschoss. Das Obergeschoss war sicher für die Frauen und Kinder. Einige Häuser weisen noch Reste von Wandmalerei auf. In vielen Häusern gab es auch kleine Statuennischen oder Altäre.

Es wird nicht gern gesehen, wenn man sich in die Siedlung begibt.

Ptolemäischer Hathor-Tempel

In ptolemäischer Zeit wurde der 25.7289732.6021164 Tempel der Hathor und der Maat(25° 43′ 44″ N32° 36′ 8″ O) errichtet, der in koptischer Zeit als Kloster weiterbenutzt wurde. Seine Bezeichnung Stadtkloster, Deir el-Madīna, ist nun der Name der gesamten archäologischen Stätte. Der Tempel wurde hauptsächlich der Göttin Hathor gewidmet. Es werden u. a. auch Maat, Isis, Nephthys, Amun-Re, Osiris und Month verehrt.

Tempel der Hathor und der Maat

Der Tempel wurde an der Stelle eines früheren Tempels aus dem Neuen Reich errichtet, der während der persischen Herrschaft zerstört wurde. Begonnen wurde der heute sichtbare Bau unter Ptolemaios IV. Philopator begonnen und unter Ptolemaios VI. Philometor stark erweitert. Selbst unter Ptolemaios VIII. Euergetes II. wurde noch am Tempel gearbeitet. Er wurde aber nie fertiggestellt. Of Ptolemaios XII. Neos Dionysos stammt die Dekoration des Tores in der Umfassungsmauer und des Tempeleingangs. Unter Kaiser Augustus wurde an der Tempelrückwand ein Gegentempel, das sog. Iseion, angefügt.

Eine strenge Ausrichtung des Tempels gibt es nicht. Der Einfachheit halber soll die Tempelachse in Ost-West-Richtung gedacht sein, auch wenn sie eher in nordwestlich-südöstlicher Richtung verläuft.

The Umfassungsmauer, die etwa 50 mal 50 Meter misst, wurde aus luftgetrockneten Lehmziegeln errichtet und lehnt sich mit ihrer Rückwand direkt an den Steilhang. Aufgrund des Gebirges ist die Ecke im Westen ausgespart worden. Im Südosten der Mauer befindet sich das Eingangstor aus Sandstein. Es wurde von Ptolemaios XII. dekoriert. Auf dem Sturz sieht man den König in einer Doppelszene, und zwar links vor Maat und der Götterdreiheit Month, Rat-taui, dies ist Months Gefährtin, und Harpokrates bzw. rechts vor Hathor und der Götterdreiheit Amun-Re, Mut und Chons, darüber die Hohlkehle mit der Flügelsonne. Auf beiden Pfosten sieht man Ptolemaios XII. im Opfergebet vor verschiedenen Göttern. Dies sind links von oben Month und Tenenet, Month und Rat-taui, Osiris und Isis sowie Month und Iunit-Rat-taui. Auf der anderen Seite erkennt man Month und Rat-taui, erneut Month und Rat-taui, Harsiese und Nephthys sowie Amun und eine Göttin.

The Tempelkomplex besteht aus drei Teilen, dem eigentlichen Tempel für Hathor und Maat, dem wir uns in der Folge widmen wollen, einem Geburtshaus, einem sog. Mammisi, auf der linken Tempelseite und einem Gegentempel, das der Isis geweihte Iseion, auf der Tempelrückseite. Der gesamte Komplex ist etwa 25 Meter lang und 15 Meter breit.

Das eigentliche Tempelhaus wurde aus Sandstein errichtet und ist etwa 15 Meter lang und neun Meter breit. Man betritt den Tempel üblicherweise im Südosten, einen weiteren Zugang gibt es vom Geburtshaus aus.

Der Tempel besteht aus einer Vorhalle, dem Portikus, mit zwei undekorierten Kompositkapitellsäulen, der eine Querhalle, der Pronaos, folgt, die den Zugang zu drei nebeneinander liegenden Kapellen, die als Sanktuare, Allerheiligste, dienen, bietet. Die Trennung von Vor- und Querhalle erfolgt durch halbhohe Schrankenwände, die mit Hathorpfeilern begrenzt werden. An der linken Eingangswand und an der linken Wand der Querhalle führt eine Treppe auf das Tempeldach. Die Querhalle fungiert als Opfertischsaal. Die Kapellen am Ende der Querhalle sind zur Linken für Osiris und Isis, in der Mitte Amun-Re, Mut, Chons-Schu, Hathor und Maat sowie rechts Hathor und Maat bestimmt.

Eingang zum Tempel der Hathor und der Maat

Vorhalle des Tempels

Linke Wand der Querhalle

Rückwand der mittleren Kapelle

Zwei der vier Winde am Architrav der Querhalle

Sokar-Osiris-Barke in der südlichen Kapelle

Mittlerer Teil der Gerichtsszene

Rechter Teil der Gerichtsszene

Auch der Zugang zur Vorhalle, dem Portikus, wurde von Ptolemaios XII. dekoriert. Auf dem Sturz sieht man ihn vor verschiedenen Göttern wie der kuhköpfigen Ihet, Hathor und Hemataui (links) sowie Amonet, Maat und Henutinentet (rechts). Auch dieser Sturz wird nach oben mit der Flügelsonne auf der Hohlkehle abgeschlossen. Auf den Pfosten sieht man den opfernden Ptolemaios XII. links vor Osiris, Isis und Month sowie rechts vor Harsiese, Nephthys und Amunemopet. Die Schrankenwände besitzen Dekorationen von Ptolemaios VI. Links befindet er sich vor Amun-Re und Hathor, rechts opfert er Weihrauch und Wasser an Amun-Re und Isis. Die letztere Schrankenwand ist stark zerstört. Die beiden Säulen am Zugang zur Querhalle zeigen u.a. an den nach außen zeigenden Seiten die vergöttlichten Mediziner Imhotep (links) und Amenhotep, Sohn des Hapu (rechts). An den Außenseiten befinden sich Pfeiler, deren Kapitelle das Antlitz der Hathor tragen.

In der nun über zwei Treppenstufen folgenden Querhalle, dem Pronaos, sollte man einen Blick auf die Innenseite des Architravs über dem Zugang werfen. Die recht ungewöhnlichen Darstellungen von geflügelten Gottheiten repräsentieren die vier Winde. Dies sind von links ein Käfer mit vier Flügeln und Widderkopf, der Ostwind, ein Widder mit vier Köpfen und vier Flügeln, der Nordwind, ein Löwe mit vier Flügeln, der Südwind, und ein Seelenvogel mit vier Flügeln, der Westwind. Der Nordwind wird uns später nochmals begegnen.

An den Wänden der Querhalle sind Opferhandlungen meist in drei Registern von Ptolemaios VI., aber auch von Ptolemaios VIII. Euergetes II. und Kleopatra II. zu sehen. Auf der linken Seite opfert z.B. Ptolemaios VI. Kleidung und Salbe an Hathor und Maat. An der Seite des südlichen Treppenteils ist eine Barke mit der Hathorkuh dargestellt.

in the Mittelsanktuar wurden Opferdarstellungen von Ptolemaios IV., seiner Schwester Arsinoë III. und Ptolemais VI. in je zwei Registern angebracht. Dabei können in einem einzelnen Register durchaus mehrere Herrscher vorkommen. So opfert auf der linken Wand im oberen Register Ptolemaios VI. ein Bild der Göttin Maat an die Thebanische Triade, Hathor und Maat, opfern Ptolemaios IV. und Arsinoë III. Natron und Wasser an Amun, und opfert Ptolemaios IV. Kleidung und Salbe an Osiris und Isis. An der Rückwand opfert Ptolemaios IV. im oberen Register jeweils ein Bildnis der Göttin Maat an Amun-Re und Mut sowie an Amun-Re und Chons-Schu, und im unteren Register vier Salbgefäße an Hathor, vor Hathor mit ihrem Kund und eine einen Salbkrug haltende Sphinx an Maat.

The Zugänge zum südlichen und nördlichen Sanktuar ähneln sich. Das oberste Register zur Südkapelle zeigt Ptolemaios VI., der Weihrauch an die Hathorkuh im Schrein opfert. Auf dem Türsturz sieht man ihn vor Osiris, Isis, Nephthys und Anubis. Auf den Pfosten sind Wächter mit Messern dargestellt. Auf dem obersten Register der Nordapelle sieht man die Götter Nun, Nunet, Hehuj und Hehut, Kekuj und Kekut sowie Hathor. Der Sturz zeigt wieder Ptolemaios VI. vor Amun und Hathor sowie Amun und Maat. Auf den Pfosten sind wiederum Wächter dargestellt.

The südliche (linke) Sanktuar besitzt wohl die interessantesten Darstellungen. Auf dem inneren Türsturz erkennen wir wieder den Nordwind in Form eines Widders mit vier Köpfen im Beisein von Maat und Hathor zur Linken bzw. Nephthys und Isis zur Rechten sowie auf den Pfosten je drei schakalsköpfige Seelen von Nechen (Hierakonpolis, links) und falkenköpfige Seelen von Pe (Buto, rechts), die von Ptolemaios VI. angeführt werden. Auf der linken Wand ist das Totengericht dargestellt, das vor dem thronenden Osiris abgehalten wird. Man sieht u.a. die Waage, die von Harsiese und Anubis gehalten wird, Gott Thot beim Protokollieren und das Monster Ammet, das im negativen Fall den Verstorbenen auffrisst, die Horussöhne und die 42 Richter. Auf der gegenüber liegenden Wand opfert Ptolemaios VI. Weihrauch vor Anubis und Min, verschiedenen Standarten und Emblemen sowie der heiligen Barke des Sokar-Osiris (Sokaris). An der Rückwand erblickt man Ptolemaios IV. beim Opfer von Weihrauch und Wasser vor Osiris und Isis.

The nördliche (rechte) Kapelle zeigt Ptolemaios IV. und Ptolemaios VI. vor verschiedenen Göttern. An der linken Wand ist Ptolemaios VI. beim Speiseopfer an Amun-Re, der kuhköpfigen Ihet, Hathor, Amun-Re, Maat und Isis zu sehen. Gegenüber opfert wieder Ptolemaios VI., und diesmal Weihrauch und Wasser, an Osiris, Nut, Isis, Harendotes, Nephthys und Anubis. An der Rückwand opfert Ptolemaios IV. vier Salbgefäße an Hathor und Maat.

Votivkapellen der Nekropolenarbeiter

Großer Brunnenschacht nördlich des Hathor-Tempels

An der Südwand des Tempels wurde das Geburtshaus angebaut. An der hinteren Nordwand sehen wir Ptolemaios IX. Soter II., Kleopatra III. und Semataui auf den Wappenpflanzen beim Opfer vor Amun-Re, Mut und Chons und erneut den König beim Opfer vor Hathor mit ihrem Kind und Maat.

The Gegentempel, das sog. Iseion, wurde unter Kaiser Augustus in römischer Zeit aus luftgetrockneten Lehmziegeln errichtet. Dekoriert wurde nur die gemeinsame steinerne Rückwand zwischen Hathor- und Gegentempel. Der als ägyptische König dargestellte Kaiser ist in einer Doppelszene vor Hathor und Maat bzw. vor Tenenet und Rat-taui zu sehen. An der südlichen Westwand befinden sich zudem mehrere Votivkapellen der hiesigen Nekropolenarbeiter.

Hathor-Kapelle Sethos’ I.

Amun-Tempel Ramses’ II.

Etwa 200 Meter nordöstlich des Tempelkomplexes befindet sich ein 42 Meter tiefer, unvollendeter 25.7291332.6031255 Brunnenschacht(25° 43′ 45″ N32° 36′ 11″ O). Hier wurden etwa 5.000 Ostraka aus der Stadt der Nekropolenarbeiter gefunden.

Etwa 50 Meter südöstlich des Eingangs des Hathor-Tempels befindet sich der 25.7285532.6025896 Amun-Tempel Ramses’ II.(25° 43′ 43″ N32° 36′ 9″ O) und nördlich des Hathor-Tempels die 25.72901132.6024067 Hathor-Kapelle Sethos’ I.(25° 43′ 44″ N32° 36′ 9″ O). Im Umfeld des Hathor-Tempels befinden sich noch weitere, jedoch undekorierte Tempel.

kitchen

Ein kleines Restaurant gibt es neben dem Ramesseum in Scheich ʿAbd el-Qurna, weitere in der Nähe von Madīnat Hābū sowie in Gazīrat el-Baʿīrāt und Gazīrat er-Ramla sowie in Luxor.

accommodation

Die nächstgelegenen Hotels findet man im Bereich von Scheich ʿAbd el-Qurna. Unterkünfte gibt es zudem in Gazīrat el-Baʿīrāt und Gazīrat er-Ramla‎, Ṭōd el-Baʿīrāt, Luxor sowie Karnak.

trips

Der Besuch von Deir el-Madīna lässt sich mit dem Besuch anderer Beamtengräber z.B. in Scheich ʿAbd el-Qurna and in Qurnat Muraʿī verbinden. Zum Weiteren befindet sich westlich das Tal der Königinnen und südöstlich das Ramesseum.

literature

• Allgemein
  • Valbelle, Dominique: Deir el-Medineh. In:Helck, Wolfgang; Otto, Eberhard (Ed.): Lexicon of Egyptology; Vol. 1: A - harvest. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1975, ISBN 978-3-447-01670-4 , Sp. 1028–1034. In Französisch.
  • Hornung, Erik: Das Totenbuch der Ägypter. Zürich, München: Artemis, 1990.

• Grab des Sennedjem, TT 1
  • Bruyère, Bernard: La tombe no 1 de Sen-nedjem à Deir el Médineh. Le Caire: Imprimerie de l’Institut français d’Archéologie orientale, 1959, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 88.
  • 'Abd el Wahab, Fahmy: La tombe de Sen-nedjem à Deir el Médineh : Croquis de position. Le Caire: Imprimerie de l’Institut français d’Archéologie orientale, 1959, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 89.
  • Shedid, Abdel Ghaffar: Das Grab des Sennedjem : Ein Künstlergrab der 19. Dynastie in Deir el Medineh. Mainz am Rhein: Philipp von Zabern, 1994, ISBN 978-3-8053-1756-6 .
  • Hodel-Hoenes, Sigrid: Leben und Tod im Alten Ägypten : Thebanische Privatgräber des Neuen Reiches. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1991, ISBN 978-3-534-11011-7 , S. 210–225.

• Grab des Paschedu, TT 3
  • Zivie, Alain-Pierre: La Tombe de Pached à Deir el Médineh [No 3]. Le Caire: Institut français d’Archéologie orientale, 1979, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 99.

• Grab des Irinefer, TT 290
  • Bruyère, Bernard ; Kuentz, Charles ; Cherpion, Nadine (Ed.): Tombes thébaines : la nécropole de Deir el-Médineh : la tombe de Nakht-Min, la tombe d’Ari-Nefer [Nos 291 et 290]. Le Caire: Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 2015, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 54, ISBN 978-2-7247-0666-6 . Reprint des vollständigen Manuskripts. Der Erstdruck von 1926 war unvollständig.

• Grab des Inherchau (Onuris-Cha), TT 359
  • Bruyère, Bernard: Rapport sur les fouilles de Deir el Médineh (1930). Le Caire: Institut français d’Archéologie orientale, 1933, Fouilles de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire : Rapports préliminaires ; 8,3.
  • Hodel-Hoenes, Sigrid: Leben und Tod im Alten Ägypten : Thebanische Privatgräber des Neuen Reiches. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1991, ISBN 978-3-534-11011-7 , S. 226–242.
  • Cherpion, Nadine ; Corteggiani, Jean-Pierre: La tombe d’Inherkhâouy (TT 359) à Deir el-Medina. Le Caire: Institut français d’Archéologie orientale, 2010, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 128, ISBN 978-2-7247-0509-6 . 2 Bände.

• Tempel von Deir el-Madīna
  • Du Bourguet, Pierre: Le temple de Deir al-Médîna. Le Caire: Inst. Français d’Archéologie Orientale, 2002, Mémoires / Institut Français d’Archéologie Orientale du Caire ; 121, ISBN 978-2-7247-0321-4 .
  • Fermat, André: Deir el-Médineh : le temple des bâtisseurs de la vallée des rois; traduction intégrale des textes. Paris: Maison de Vie Éd., 2010, Égypte ancienne ; [12], ISBN 978-2-355-990-30-4 (formal falsch).

• Arbeitersiedlung
  • Černý, Jaroslav: A community of workmen at Thebes in the Ramesside period. Le Caire: Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 1973, Bibliothèque d’étude ; 50, ISBN 978-2-7247-0296-5 .
  • Bierbrier, Morris: The tomb-builders of the Pharaohs. London: British Museum Publ., 1982, A Colonnade book, ISBN 978-0-7141-8044-1 .
  • Valbelle, Dominique: Les ouvriers de la tombe : Deir el-Médineh à l’époque ramesside. Le Caire: Institut français d’archéologie orientale, 1985, Bibliothèque d’étude ; 96, ISBN 978-2-7247-0018-3 .
  • Gutgesell, Manfred: Arbeiter und Pharaonen : Wirtschafts- und Sozialgeschichte im Alten Ägypten. Hildesheim: Gerstenberg, 1989, ISBN 978-3-8067-2026-6 .
  • Lesko, Leonard H.: Pharaoh’s workers : the villagers of Deir el Medina. Ithaca [u.a.]: Cornell Univ. Press, 1994, ISBN 978-0-8014-8143-7 .

Web links

• Deir al-Medina, Institut français d’archéologie orientale
• Temple de Deir El-Medineh, Corpus de textes Rosette (Projet Rosette)

Individual evidence

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25° 43′ 44″ N 32° 36′ 05″ O