DEIR EL-MEDINA
Year 11 Ancient History Preliminary HSC Course
Topic: Investigating Ancient History
Case Studies
Using sources to construct an argument or
historical narrative
Lesson Overview
01
Activity 1: Introduction
The Context of Deir El Medina
Introduction to todays focus
question and topic.
Discussion of context and
location of the case study.
03
Acitivity 2: Construct the Narrative
Group Floor
Storm/Progressive Brainstorm
activity.
02
04
Summary
Final ideas and thoughts
Content Focus
Note:
Case studies must
not overlap with or
duplicate
significantly any
topic to be
attempted in the
Year 12 Ancient
History or History
Extension courses..
Source A
Source B
Source C
QUOTES
“The village was situated, quite literally, in the
middle of the desert in order to separate its occupants
from the rest of the population”.
— (Mark, 2007)
https://www.ancient.eu/Deir_el-Medina/
Source D
“There was a main entrance in the north wall with a
‘guard house’ next to it and another in the south”.
—(Mark, 2007)
https://www.ancient.eu/Deir_el-Medina/
Source E
Source F
“The village was situated, quite
literally, in the middle of the desert
in order to separate its occupants
from the rest of the population”.
Questions: What historical narrative can be
constructed by using these sources?
“There was a main entrance in the
north wall with a ‘guard house’
next to it and another in the
south”.
Contextual Infromation
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Ancient village that was home to the artisans and craftsmen who worked on the tombs in the
Valley of the Kings during the New Kingdom of Egypt.
The Village was situated on the west bank of the Nile – within walking distance to the
Valley of the Kings to the north.
The Village was structured in a rectangular grid pattern and surrounded by a protective wall.
It occupied an area of 5,600 metres.
The main entrance was located in the northern wall and was protected by a ‘guard post’.
Deir El Medina was not a self-sufficient town. As a village for artisans, basic necessities such as
food and water were imported from Thebes.
The citizens of Deir El Medina were not considered slaves – they were paid for their labour in
provisions which would have placed them as Middle-Class citizens.
The standard working week was 10 days of labour followed by 2 days of rest – labourers
would spend 10 days at the site of the tomb before returning to the village.
Labourers were organised into two groups - ‘left’ and ‘right’ gangs. These groups had a
member skilled
Content
Outcomes
Construct the Narrative
1. You will be split into groups
2. Each group will be given sources that help build the same
narrative about a particular tomb found in Deir El-Medina
3. In your groups write down as many words and ideas that come to
mind after you have looked at both sources.
4. Using these sources and your own understanding of Egyptian
Burial Customs who do you think this tomb belong to?
Why is this Activity is Useful ?
1
Assessment of Prior
Knowledge and Prediction
Activity
Students use both primary and
secondary sources to better
understand:
-Who this person is
-Their Status within Society
This helps students to construct their
own historical narrative
2
“The tomb inscriptions describe Sennedjem as ‘servant in the
place of truth’…
Probably with the help of
members of his own family and of other workers from
the village, Sennedjem was able to build and decorate
his eternal house. Some of the tools that Sennedjem
probably used during his lifetime, a cubit rod, a right
angle and a plumb level, were among the many articles
found in his tomb. These tools may well have been used in the
construction of his tomb and that of Rameses II “
- Farid, 2001 in KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt
Source A
Questions:
1. Describe the Tomb of Sennedjem and its contents
by looking at Source A and B.
2. Using Source A and your own understanding,
Who was Sennedjem? And what was his role in
society?.
The main chamber of Sennedjem’s tomb depicting his
family who were also buried with him
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/09/2c/89/092c899b4d21e5cf0adc34d86e9a550f
.jpg?fbclid=IwAR2EM5Mu6GbaSSv7ST_TqppU1OSEi9FS_CSBQJJSwQCCGsolCcF
wDdEa9fY
Source B
“ intact burials have been discovered and there have been
little substantial funeral debris: thousands of potsherds,
faience ushabti figures, beads, amulets, fragments of
Canopic jars, of wooden coffins ... but no intact sarcophagi,
mummies or mummy cases, suggesting that much of the
tomb may have been unused. Those burials which were
made in KV7 were thoroughly looted in antiquity, leaving
little or no remains.”
- Tyldesley, 2000 p.161-62 (Describing the items found in
KV7 the tomb of Ramesses II
Source C
Painting from the Annex of Tomb Ramesses II
Source D
Questions:
3. Compare Sources A and C, in what ways are these similar or different?
4. Using Source A, B, C, and D, along with your own knowledge, justify how this information can help us
learn about the burials of Egyptians (Royal and Non-Royal) From Deir el Medina and the Valley of the
Kings.?
Bloom’s Taxonomy
THANK YOU