Leiden University Student Repository

Ormeling, Rinus (2011)

Modelling Labour in Ancient Egypt. The First Dynasty Mud Brick Fortress at Elephantine [case study]

Master thesis | Archaeology (MA/MSc)

The quantification of labour in ancient Egypt is an under exposed field of study. Ancient sources are scarce on solid data about the labour processes of that time or the deployment of staff or personnel. The way the administration of the Egyptian state worked has been researched extensively. These studies encompass the long and dynamic history of the pharaonic state, from the Early Dynastic Period to the Graeco-Roman period in the very end. In reconstructing the labour processes of specific activities we may find a way to address the question of quantification. The process of building with mud brick can be an example to study the way how the ancient Egyptians organized their labour. The reconstruction of this process allows us to quantify the labour – in terms of man-hours and duration - for each successive stage. From there, it is possible to estimate the efforts and expenses (funds) necessary to realize the building. A labour organization model has been devised to support and...Show moreThe quantification of labour in ancient Egypt is an under exposed field of study. Ancient sources are scarce on solid data about the labour processes of that time or the deployment of staff or personnel. The way the administration of the Egyptian state worked has been researched extensively. These studies encompass the long and dynamic history of the pharaonic state, from the Early Dynastic Period to the Graeco-Roman period in the very end. In reconstructing the labour processes of specific activities we may find a way to address the question of quantification. The process of building with mud brick can be an example to study the way how the ancient Egyptians organized their labour. The reconstruction of this process allows us to quantify the labour – in terms of man-hours and duration - for each successive stage. From there, it is possible to estimate the efforts and expenses (funds) necessary to realize the building. A labour organization model has been devised to support and structure the reconstruction of the building processes and to quantify both labour and funds. The building of the First Dynasty fortress at Elephantine has been subject of a case study to test the model. Although we can not reconstruct the ancient processes in detail, the outcome provides reliable information to assess the labour involved with the erection of the initial fortress at Elephantine.Show less

Author

Ormeling, Rinus

Faculty

Faculty of Archaeology

Supervisors

Cappers, R.T.J.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en