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A New Approach to the Interpretation As to the Function of the Elevated Beds Discovered at Deir El-Medina

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A New Approach to the Interpretation As to the Function of the Elevated Beds Discovered at Deir El-Medina A NEW APPROACH OF IDENTIFING THE FUNCTION OF THE ELEVATED BEDS AT DEIR EL-MEDINA by MICHELLE LESLEY BROOKER A thesis submitted to The University of Birmingham for the Degree of MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (B) Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity The University of Birmingham 11/06/09 June 2009 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This research consists of a different approach to the investigation of the elevated beds at Deir el-Medina. It identifies the underlining factors considered during their construction, where they were positioned, how they were orientated and what the surviving iconographies suggested about their original usage. It concludes with identifying the front rooms at Deir el-Medina as gardens. The frontal room is where the elevated beds were positioned and therefore link to the gardens symbolic meaning of resurrection and the afterlife. The elevated beds were orientated to symbolize the deceases’ connection with Re and Osiris. It also signifies a change after the Amarna period with an influx in Osiris worship. The iconographies surviving upon the elevated beds convey the deceased being reborn within the field of reeds signifying that the elevated beds were possibly used for altar purposes. DEDICATION For my parents, Peter and Lesley, for their guidance and loving support. CONTENTS Introduction 1 1. Preface 1 2. Methodology 1 Chapter 1: Background 3 Evidence 1. The History of Deir el-Medina 3 2. The Community of Deir el-Medina 5 3. The Excavation of the Village 6 4. A Brief History of Ancient Egyptian Houses 8 5. Appearance and Usage of the Houses at Deir 13 el-Medina 5.1 The Archaeological Evidence 14 5.2 Representational Evidence 18 5.3 House Models 21 6. Houses at Deir el-Medina 23 7. Function of the Rooms at Deir el-Medina 24 Chapter 2: Previous 26 Interpretations of the Elevated Beds 1. Details of the Elevated Beds 26 2. Previous Interpretations of the Elevated 27 Beds 2.1 Sleeping Beds 28 2.2 Female Space 31 2.3 Birthing Bed 34 2.4 Altar 37 2.5 Multifunctional Purpose 40 2.6 Chapel 41 2.7 Seating Area 43 Chapter 3: Location of the 44 Elevated Beds 1. Function of the Front Room 45 1.1 3D House Models 45 1.2 2D Imagery 46 1.3 Textual evidence 47 1.4 Archaeological Evidence 49 2. Conclusion 53 Chapter 4: The Orientation 54 of the Elevated Beds 1. Orientation 54 2. The Development of Deir el-Medina 56 3. Interpretation of the Development of the 61 Village in accordance to the Elevated Beds Chapter 5: Iconography 69 Analysis 1. Description of N.O.XII (Orientated West) 69 1.1 Examples of the Context in which this 72 Iconography is Used 2.Description of S.E. I. (Orientated North) 77 2.1 Examples of the Context in which this 80 Iconography is Used 3. The Convolvulus 85 4. S.E.VIII (Orientated South) 94 4.1 Examples of the Context in which this 96 Iconography is Typically Used 5. Description of C.VII (Orientated East) 100 5.1 Examples of the Context in which this 101 Iconography is Used 6. Bes Representations 103 6.1 Description of N.E.X (Orientated West), 106 N.E.XII (Orientated West), N.E.XIII (Orientated West), S.E.IX (Orientated North), C.V (Orientated East), and S.O.VI (Orientated North). 6.2. Examples of the Context in which this 106 Iconography is Used Conclusion 110 Chapter 6: Interpretation of 111 the Elevated Beds 1. Religious terminology 112 2. Types of Worship 114 2.1 Royal 114 2.2 Animal 117 2.3 Divine 118 2.4 Ancestral 120 3. Ancestral Religious Behaviours in Relation 123 to the Elevated Beds 3.1 Location 123 3.2 Iconography 124 3.3 Material Culture 126 3.4 Orientation 128 Conclusion 131 Appendix 1 Five tables of the orientations of the elevated 138 beds within the houses at Deir el-Medina. Plates 1-24 140 Bibliography 169 FIGURES Fig. 1. Map of the West bank of Luxor. 3 Source: Lesko 1994:3. Fig. 2. Pre-Dynastic rectangular house reconstruction of Elephantine. 9 Source: Lindemann, J 1988: 143. Fig. 3. A section of houses from the priestly settlement at Dahshur. 11 Source: Fakhry 1961:Fig 4. Fig. 4. The types of housing found at Amarna. 15 Source: Koltsida 2007:9. Fig. 5. Deir el-Medina house C.V. compared to Amarna workmen’s village 17 house Gate Street 8. Source: Left: Roik 1988b: Abb 1. Right: Koltsida 2007:Pl. 7. Fig. 6. A piece of Nakht’s 18th Dynasty Book of the Dead. British 19 Museum EA 10471/21. Source: Stead 1991:Fig. 15. Fig. 7. House N.O.XXIII. 20 Source: Bruyère 1939:Pl. XXIX. Fig .8. Bruyère’s drawing of the inside of a typical house at Deir el- 24 Medina. Source: Bruyère 1939: Figure 15. Fig. 9. Photograph of house N.E.III elevated bed. 26 Source: Peter Brooker Fig. 10. Bruyère reconstruction of the height of the elevated beds. 35 Source- Bruyère 1939:57. Fig. 11. Distribution of the material culture found within the front room of 52 the house. Source: Map- Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, and material culture distribution- Author. Fig. 12. Orientation of the elevated beds. 55 Source: Map- Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, and colour coded elevated beds- Author. Fig. 13. Bruyère’s reconstruction of Phase one development of Deir el- 57 Medina. Source: Bruyère 1939:Pl.V. Fig 14. Bruyère’s reconstruction of Phase two village development at 58 Deir el-Medina. Source: Bruyère 1939:Pl.VI. Fig 15. Bruyère’s reconstruction of Phase three village development at 60 Deir el-Medina. Source: Bruyère 1939:Pl.VII. Fig. 16. Phase one of the development of Deir el-Medina. 62 Source: Map- Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, elevated beds colour coded and phase one border-Author. Fig. 17. A map indicating developing phases, phase one in red and phase 64 two in green. Source: Map-Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, elevated beds colour coded and phase one and two borders-Author. Fig. 18. A map of the three phase developments of the village, the last 19th 66 Dynasty phase is indicated in purple. Source: Map-Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, elevated beds colour coded and phase one, two and three borders-Author. Fig. 19. The elevated bed in house N.E.II. 67 Source: Map-Bruyère 1939: Pl VII, elevated beds colour coded and phase one, two and three borders-Author. Fig.20a. - N.O.XII . Image of a boat depicted on an elevated bed. 69 Source: Bruyère,1939: Fig. 157. Fig. 20b. Patterns on elevated bed N.O.XII. 70 Source- Bruyère 1939: Fig. 158. Fig. 21. Diagrams of the wooden boat models of Meketre (TT280 Thebes). 71 Source: Kemp 2006: Fig.108. Fig. 22. Blue faience bowl. 73 Source Rogers 1948: 158. Fig. 23.An 18th Dynasty fishing in the marshes scene from the tomb chapel 75 of Nebamun. The British Museum EA 37977. Source: Parkinson 2008: Fig. 137. Fig. 24. S.E.I . Image of four females depicted on an elevated bed. Source: 77 Bruyère 1939:Pl. X. Fig. 25. Bruyère’s reconstruction of the image found upon elevated bed 78 S.E.I. Source: Bruyère 1923:Figure 5. Fig. 26. Fig. 26. Two types of bangles used to adorn female ankles. 79 Source: Author. Fig. 27. Depiction on Ostracon BM EA 8506 of a mother and baby. British 80 Museum EA 8506. Source: Peck 1978 : 89, Fig.14. Fig. 28. Depiction on Ostracon BM EA 2339 of mother, baby and female 82 attendant. Source: Bruyère 1939. Figure 52. Fig. 29. A representation of Brunner-Traut’s opinion of the image depicted 83 upon elevated bed S.E.I. Source: Brunner-Traut 1955: Fig 5. Fig. 30. Amenhotep I and Ahmose-Nefertari from the 20th Dynasty tomb 87 of Kynebu. British Museum. EA 37993, EA37994. Source: Left- James 2005: Fig. 98. and Right- British Museum 2009. Fig. 31. Sarcophagus of Isis (JE 27309). 89 Source: Tiradritti, F. 1999: 272. Fig. 32. Blue faience bowl. 91 Source: Rogers 1948:155. Fig. 33. Fig. 33. Faience Bowl ECM 821. 92 Source: Reeves and Quirke 1999:Fig 31. Fig. 34. S.E.VIII . Image of a female musician depicted on an elevated bed. 94 Source: Bruyère 1939. Fig.145 and Pl. X. Fig. 35. A depiction of female musicians from the tomb of 38 96 Zeserkaresonb at Thebes. Source: Manniche 1991. Fig.21 Fig. 36. Depiction of a female musician represented upon an 19th to 20th 97 Dynasty faience bowl. Source: Bianchi 1998:212. Fig. 37. – C.VII . Image of a two figures upon an elevated bed. 100 Source: Bruyère 1939. Fig. 182. Fig. 38. Lower section from the stela of Penboui. 101 Source: Bruyère 1939: Fig. 206. Fig. 39. Linen of Taourt. 102 Source: Bruyère 1939:Fig.116. Fig. 40. N.E.X . Frontal image of Bes. 103 Source: Bruyère 1939: Fig. 131. Fig. 41. N.E.XII . Fragment images of Bes. 104 Source: Bruyère 1939: Fig. 133. Fig 42 and 43.
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