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The Workers of Deir El Madina
) They were known collectively as men of the gang , and were divided into two gangs or 'iswt' , Left side and Right side . This term perhaps depends on which side of the tomb on which they worked . The term 'iswt' signified a military-style unit working under a foreman who controlled everyday tomb-building activity . Several scribes were in attendance to record the work that took place , such as worker’s absences , payments , supplies received , etc . In the middle of the reign of Ramses II , there were at least 48 men , but by the end of the reign that number was down to 32 , perhaps because the tomb had been completed . In the reign of Ramses III , 40 men were named , but in the reign of his successor Ramses IV , the gang was expanded to 120 men . Ramses IV ruled only 6 years and the gang was cut back to 60 . Each gang consisted of stone-masons , carpenters , chief carpenters , sculptors , and drought men . They were controlled by two ) The stonecutters excavated the royal tombs in the soft limestone hills , sometimes hundred of feet into the cliffs or the valley floors . The craftsmen guided the decorations by laying out the designs and enlarged them from guidelines' drawings to fit the available space , checking and frequently correcting those guidelines . The painters had a wide variety of pigments available enabling them to brush remarkable details into the figures . The foremen and scribes constituted the leaders of the village situated between the inhabitants and the higher authorities , including the vizier and the overseer of the treasury . They oversaw the transferring of material from the royal storehouses for use in constructing the tomb , received and distributed the wages among the workers , sat as chief magistrates on the local court and acted as chief witnesses for oaths . They also recommended candidates for replacement in the work-force , which could sometimes be swayed by bribery . Other positions in the village were the "guardians of the tomb" who controlled the royal storehouses where the tools and other construction materials were kept . They were handing the materials over , under the supervision of the foremen and ) There were servants of the tomb , wood-cutters , water-carriers , fishermen , gardeners , washer-men , and at times potters , they were under the direct control of the scribes and door-keepers , they worked as workmen but could rise to become full-fledged workmen , Women servants ground into flour the grain supplied by the authorities . Because currency did not exist in ancient Egypt , the workmen were paid in kind . The chief payment consisted of monthly rations of wheat for flour and barley for making beer . The foremen and scribes received a higher salary than the ordinary workmen . Apart from the grain , the workers were given fish , vegetables , water , wood for fuel and pottery . There were also more irregular deliveries of dates , cakes and ready-made beer . Bonuses were issued on festival days or other special reasons . These bonuses might include extra provisions of normal supplies but ) The workers supplemented the income they received from government by making their own funerary equipment , including coffins , boxes and other items . They paid each other for various items of manufacture , and the scribes were charging for painting the required inscriptions . The craftsmen also accepted outside commissions , that is why much of the furniture used in private burials at Thebes was made at Deir el-Medina . Related Articles ..
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