THE ROYAL ARTISANS OF DEIR EL-MEDINA
The archaeological evidence seems to suggest that the village was founded by Tuthmose I (ca.1504-1492 BC), third king of the Eighteenth Dynasty, since it is his royal cartouche that was discovered stamped into mud bricks used in the construction of the earliest houses. That said, the real mastermind behind the creation of a specialist corps of skilled and trusty workers may well have been his father, Amenhotep I (ca.1525-1504 BC). Deified by the villagers, he commanded a particularly pivotal role in the Deir el-Medina pantheon. So ubiquitous was his influence on religious life there that he was celebrated as the workers’ patron and their most recognizable deity. Such idolization may well have been linked with Amenhotep’ decision to break with tradition and physically separate his tomb from his cult (‘memorial’) temple – a move undoubtedly motivated by a desire for greater security – with the more secluded Valley of the Kings being chosen as the location for his tomb.
Evolution of the village
The settlement built under Tuthmose I consisted of just 21 houses, arranged in two terraces on either side of a central alleyway. Following a radical shake-up of the necropolis administration introduced at the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty by king Horemheb (ca.1323–1295 BC), the strength of the workforce was increased considerably, and with this came a proportionate need for new housing that
