In the village of Deir el‑Medina, on the West Bank of ancient Thebes, archaeologists in the early 20th century uncovered something curious: broken pieces of pottery, known as ostraca, inscribed with a tale of a ghost and a high priest. One shard, now held in Turin’s Museo Egizio (S.6619), was discovered in 1905 by Ernesto...
A reminder that even in the shadow of eternity, the craftsmen of Thebes found time for life’s more earthly pleasures, this playful and rather daring sketch from the workmen’s village captures a rare glimpse into the more private humour of Ancient Egyptian life. Painted swiftly in black ink, it shows a man and woman engaged...
Ever seen an ancient meme? This limestone sketch (Musée du Louvre Museum. E 32954) from Deir el-Medina might just be one! Drawn over 3,000 years ago (c. 1295–1069 B.C.) by an artisan of the royal tomb-builders’ village depicts a cat standing upright, holding or offering a vase and a lotus flower to another seated cat,...
Painted upon a modest shard of limestone (known as an ostracon) this whimsical yet charming sketch from the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1069 B.C.) captures a lively monkey mid-climb as it scales the familiar forked trunk of a doum-palm tree. Measuring just 11 by 9.7 centimetres, the piece, though small, radiates the playful curiosity and natural...
The limestone ostracon (Musée du Louvre. E 14337) from Deir el-Medina, depicting a woman presenting a cup and vase before a figure holding a smoking bowl, likely represents a domestic or ritual offering scene. The woman’s pleated dress, perfume cone, and lotus flower suggest she is engaged in a ceremonial act, perhaps making an offering...
This ostracon is a remarkable piece of ancient Egyptian art, and it is often recognized for its portrayal of a young king, which provides a rare and valuable glimpse into royal iconography during the 20th Dynasty (around 1150 BC). Like many ostraca, this one is made of limestone, which was a common material used by...
This ostracon (British Museum. EA8505) was discovered in Deir el-Medina, the site of the famed Worker’s Village (Set Ma’at). The Worker’s Village housed the workmen and their families employed to construct nearby royal and aristocratic tombs. It is officially classified as a heritage site due to the large number of archaeological discoveries left by the...
Ostracon are various shards of limestone and/or pottery, which were used by Ancient Egyptian artisans and scribes as a tablet. The term osatracon however, is not just used for the study of Egyptology, but used by historians studying the geographical regions of various other ancient cultures too. These fragmentary pieces have provided vast amounts of...
Painted in brisk strokes upon a limestone ostracon from Deir el-Medina, two lithe figures whirl their canes in the art of tahtib, a stick-dance still enlivening weddings along the Upper Nile today. The tradition’s pedigree stretches back to the Old Kingdom, with reliefs in the Pyramid of Sahure at Abusir (c. 2500 B.C.) depicting soldiers...
This limestone ostracon from the artisans village of Deir el-Medina (Egyptian: Set Ma’at = “The Place of Truth“), shows a beautifully intricate line drawing of the dwarf god Bes. The faint red pigmented lines, now orange, showcase the talent of the artists living within the worker’s village of Deir el-Medina. Likely a trial piece to...
