Village Life in Ancient Egypt: Laundry Lists and Love Songs
Deir el-Medina, the village of the workmen who built the royal
tombs in the Valley of the Kings, is a uniquely rich source of
information about life in Egypt between 1539 and 1075 BC. The
abundant archaeological remains are complemented by tens of
thousands of texts documenting the thoughts and activities of the
villagers. Many of the texts are written on papyrus but most are on
flakes of limestone which, being free and readily available, were
used for even the most casual and temporary of records. They
include private letters, administrative accounts, magic spells,
records of purchases, last wills and testaments, laundry lists, and
love songs. The value of these rare glimpses of daily life is
greatly enhanced by the concentration of texts in one time and
place. This book combines translations of over 200 of these texts
spanning the entire range of preserved genres with stunning
illustrations. The reader will, therefore, be able to experience
the life of the villagers through their own words whilst viewing
places known to each individual writer. Each text is introduced by
a commentary that provides the context and explains the
contribution each text makes to our understanding of Egyptian
society at this period.
Review quote:
This is one of the best volumes on Deir El Medina, and is an
outstanding scholarly achievement, certain to prove useful to
Egyptologists and historian alike.
Deir el-Medina, the village of the workmen who built the royal
tombs in the Valley of the Kings, has bequeathed to us thousands of
private records. A. G. McDowell presents translations of 200 of
these, giving a unique and fascinating insight into the secret
lives of Ancient Egyptian people.
Ausstattung/Bilder: 298 pages - numerous line drawings
Seitenzahl: 314
Englisch
Abmessung: 215mm x 140mm x 16mm
Gewicht: 358g
ISBN-13: 9780199247530
ISBN-10: 0199247536
Best.Nr.: 21772639
This is one of the best volumes on Deir El Medina, and is an outstanding scholarly achievement, certain to prove useful to Egyptologists and historian alike. Bryn Mawr Classical Review
