Role of Women in Deir El Medina essays

Role of Women in Deir El Medina essays The Egyptian workmans city known as Deir El-Medina existed from the 18th Dynasty, founded to facilitate the creators of the Royal Tombs of the Valley of the Kings and their families. The images of ancient slaves that are seared in to modern consciousness see them as tortured labourers, driven by the iron fist of their Pharaoh, however the inhabitants of Deir El-Medina were the contrary, living prosperous and free lives. Deir El-Medina which translates in Arabic to Monastery of the King , is one of the most well preserved ancient settlement of Egypt and was a highly skilled community of craftsmen who passed their enterprise from father to son. Whilst the majority of those who worked in the Royal tombs were men, a lot of the time the community was of women and they maintained a strong and significant role in the running of the city. Egyptian women were among the most respected and privileged of their time, living in a supposed egalitarian society. Evident in many of the ostraca and papyri records is the fact that women had superior legal rights in comparison to other working women around the world. Incidents of women presenting cases before their superiors and exercising their legal freedom are being continually discovered and translated. Among the recent examples is a papyri from the late middle kingdom including a copy of a case brought by a woman against her father's estate, demonstrating a 'married woman enjoying a completely independent legal personality'. Another example was in the literary text entitled "The Instructions of the (Vizier) Ptahhotep," preserved in Middle Kingdom, this stated: Do not contend with her in court. Keep her from power, restrain herher eye is her storm when she gazes. Thus will you make her stay in your house. This reference to contending with one's wife in court clearly indicates that women had legal rights and were willing to fight for them Legally a woman co...