MAES March Study Day: Rosalie David et al – The Deir el-Medina Community
Sat, 26 Mar 2022 09:30 - 16:30 Greenwich Mean Time (UTC±0)
Tickets (£40) here.
MAES March online Study Day with Rosalie David, Roger Forshaw, Keith White & Anne Austin revealing new findings at Deir el-Medina
About this event
MAES ONLINE STUDY DAY
Rosalie David, Roger Forshaw et al: The Deir el-Medina Community: New Evidence from Human Remains
Deir el-Medina housed the families of the royal workmen who were primarily engaged in constructing and decorating tombs in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes (c. 1550 BCE – c. 1000 BCE). The town and neighbouring tombs where the inhabitants were buried were extensively excavated from 1905 to 1951: by E. Schiaparelli (1905-9) for the Egyptian Museum, Turin; and by German and French archaeologists G. Moller (1913) and B. Bruyére (1917-51). Currently, the IFAO (Institut français d’archéologie orientale) holds the concession to excavate and study the site.
Deir el-Medina has for many years provided extensive archaeological and inscriptional evidence about the daily lives of this special community. In recent years, however, a new mission has focused on examining the human remains of these families from the nearby tombs. The mission, carried out under the auspices of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the IFAO, was initiated and is led by Professor Anne Austin (University of Missouri-St Louis, U.S.A.). It now also includes a team from the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, University of Manchester.
At present, only Deir el-Medina and Tell el-Amarna offer the opportunity for large-scale studies on non-elite populations. The current research project therefore has great potential not only to provide further knowledge about the lives of the Deir el-Medina community, but also to contribute to wider studies on health and disease in ancient Egypt.
At this study-day, members of the mission will present some recent discoveries and discuss issues relating to disease, dental conditions, diet (including water provision at the site), and textiles associated with the burials.
Professor Rosalie David, OBE, BA, PhD, FRSA is Emerita Professor of Egyptology at the University of Manchester, and currently Co-Director of the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology. She has established biomedical Egyptology as a new university specialisation, to provide a different approach to understanding ancient Egyptian civilisation. She has lectured around the world (including Nile cruises); has authored/edited more than 30 books; and has been consultant/contributor for television documentaries. In 2003, she was awarded an OBE for services to Egyptology, and has received Fellowships of The Royal Society of Arts and The Royal Society of Medicine. She is of course also a member of the MAES committee.
The Manchester Ancient Egypt Society welcomes everyone with an interest in ancient Egyptian history. The oldest and largest Egyptology society in the UK, we organise an annual programme of lectures from visiting Egyptology professionals, as well as conferences, study days and regular trips to Egyptology collections in the UK and further afield. You can find out more about our activities on our website, meet some of our members, download the latest lecture programme and get details about how to join us. www.maesweb.org.uk
