Life and Society in Deir el-Medina – Key Vocabulary

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing the main people, places, objects, and concepts that define daily life, work, religion, conflict, and conservation issues in the New Kingdom workers’ village of Deir el-Medina.

Deir el-Medina

A purpose-built New Kingdom workers’ village on the west bank of Thebes that housed the craftsmen who constructed royal tombs.

New Kingdom (18th–19th Dynasties)

The Egyptian period during which Deir el-Medina flourished and the royal tombs in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens were built.

Mud-brick house

Typical four-room dwelling of Deir el-Medina, built of sun-dried bricks with flat palm-trunk roofs and shared walls.

Foreman

Senior craftsman who supervised work gangs in the royal tombs and occupied one of the larger village houses.

Village scribe

Official responsible for record-keeping, ration distribution, and reporting absenteeism among Deir el-Medina workers.

Communal well

The single water source located outside Deir el-Medina from which villagers drew their daily water supply.

Women’s legal rights

In Deir el-Medina, women could own, inherit, buy, sell property, make contracts, and even live independently.

Kenbet

Local court of elders and officials in Deir el-Medina that settled disputes ranging from unpaid debts to assault.

Shift work system

Eight-day periods during which male villagers labored at the tombs before returning home for rest and supplies.

Paneb

Notorious Deir el-Medina worker accused of theft, assault, adultery, and abuse of authority.

Tomb robbery

Theft of valuables such as gold, jewelry, and amulets from royal or private burials, often involving skilled artisans.

Paser vs. Pawero

Rival officials whose political feud surfaced during major investigations into tomb robberies.

Personal piety

Strong individual devotion expressed through household shrines, stelae, and direct prayer without formal priests.

Amun-Re

Chief state god widely worshipped by Deir el-Medina villagers in both public temples and private shrines.

Meretseger

Cobra-goddess who protected the Theban necropolis and punished offenders; a local patron of the village.

Amenhotep I

Deified king revered at Deir el-Medina as a protective patron along with his mother Ahmose-Nefertari.

Ahmose-Nefertari

Queen-mother venerated with Amenhotep I as a guardian deity of the workers’ village.

Ushabti

Small statuette placed in tombs to perform labor for the deceased in the afterlife.

Ka

The spiritual double or life force of a person, requiring sustenance through offerings after death.

Ba

The soul or personality that could move between the living world and the tomb, depicted as a human-headed bird.

Family tomb chapel

Forecourt and vaulted room in which relatives left offerings and where statues or stelae of the deceased were placed.

Tomb of Sennedjem

Well-preserved burial of a village captain whose richly painted scenes showcase Deir el-Medina artistry.

Draughts

Popular board game (similar to checkers) played by villagers during leisure time.

Bes

Protective dwarf-god invoked in households for childbirth, music, and general good fortune.

Taweret

Hippopotamus goddess guarding pregnancy and childbirth, frequently depicted on amulets and household items.

Household shrine

Small domestic altar or niche containing figurines and stelae for daily worship inside village homes.

Afterlife belief

Concept that the deceased would live on with their ka and ba, aided by magic, amulets, and funerary texts.

Environmental threats

Modern dangers such as rising groundwater, increased tourism, agriculture, and urban expansion damaging the site.

Groundwater lowering

Conservation method involving drainage canals and irrigation control to protect ancient structures from moisture.

Pet keeping

Practice of owning animals like cats and monkeys in Deir el-Medina households for companionship and protection.

Artisanal disputes

Common workplace quarrels among craftsmen over tools, laziness, or owed goods, often brought before the kenbet.

Funerary goods

Objects such as jewelry, amulets, and furniture placed in tombs for use or protection in the afterlife.

Vaulted chapel

Arched roofed chamber within a tomb used for cultic rituals and decorated with painted scenes.

Funerary amulet

Magic charm (e.g., wadjet eye, scarab) buried with the dead to ensure protection and rebirth.

Religious festival

Celebratory event featuring music, dance, beer, and wine that bonded the Deir el-Medina community.