In 1905, the Italian archaeologist and orientalist Ernesto Schiaparelli, who had already immortalized his name by discovering the tomb of Nefertari, the first main wife of Ramesses II, made another amazing discovery. On the western bank of the Nile, opposite Luxor, he discovered a group of Theban necropolises, and very close to it - a settlement of artisans who created magnificent temples of the Valley of the Kings. This settlement, Deir el-Medina, is now known to every Egyptologist as a "place of truth", an undistorted mirror that showed how artisans lived in Egypt during the pharaohs. Deir el-Medina arose under Pharaoh Thutmose I, around the middle of the in. BC e. However, the true art of the craft was familiar to the ancient Egyptians long before this event. Archaeologists know of very high quality craftsmanship dating from the early Bronze Age (about 3,000 years BC). Made of bronze and coppertools, utensils, figurines and weapons were made. Iron was at first such a scarce metal that the ancient Egyptians considered it to be fallen stars sent from the sky.
Craftsmen in ancient Egypt who worked with metals were always in the price, but there was no one more important than jewelers who processed gold and precious stones. Many of the decorations and cult attributes found in the tombs of the pharaohs and temples are still unparalleled, and the technology for their manufacture has not been unraveled to this day. Another respected group of artisans were those who worked with wood. This was due to a shortage of quality wood: on both banks of the Nile, mainly palm trees, plane trees and sycamore trees grew. They made ordinary furniture. The pharaoh's monopoly possession of trade made it possible to deliver pine trunks to Egypt from the eastern countries, which were used for ship needs. And from the countries of the South they imported the most expensive ebony, from which luxury goods and furniture for the upper strata of society were made.
Artisans stood apart, creating individual architectural elements of majestic tombs and temples from stone. Despite their relatively privileged position, they were entirely dependent on the orders of the pharaoh or the priests. No one, except for them, needed "architectural excesses".
Products made of clay and reed were intended for ordinary residents. Artisans in ancient Egypt mass-produced pottery and wicker chairs,mats, baskets. On dishes you can often find decorations in the form of figures, reliefs, images of gods, people and animals.
The production of linen fabric dates back to the first dynasties of the pharaohs. It was woven using vertical and horizontal looms. They also made paint to color it. The colorfulness of linen clothing can be judged by the color painting in tombs and temples. The picture would be incomplete if we do not mention the manufacture of papyrus, which has become an integral symbol of ancient Egyptian history. The monopoly on the harvest and processing of cane, which grew abundantly in the Nile Delta, also belonged to the pharaoh. Craftsmen in ancient Egypt processed reed fibers and stems, and papyrus was obtained for writing, thanks to which the most valuable information about events that took place several thousand years ago reached us.
From the many details discovered during excavations in Deir el-Medina, like a mosaic, a single picture is formed showing the life of artisans in Ancient Egypt. On the one hand, they were slaves to their involvement in the secrets of the construction of the tombs: each of them was looked after by the manager, and the village was separated from the rest of the world by a high wall. However, they were allowed to live with their wives and children. And in general, in comparison with other artisans, their position was considered privileged.
The most amazing event for the ancient world is connected with Deir el-Medina - the first strike in the history of mankind! Yes, artisans in ancient Egypt once decided to defend their rights after they had beendidn't get paid for their work. The document that tells about this is called the "Papyrus of the Strike". Everyone who has ever been to Egypt, visited its museums, saw the creations of human hands of that time, erected grandiose structures, understands: the main wonder of the world is here - not pyramids and sarcophagi, but ordinary people who created them, knew a lot about their craft and never received a decent reward for it during their lifetime.
