Striking is as old as the pyramids!
The people of Deir el-Medina were quite well off. Each family had a slave, paid for by the pharaoh, who came twice a week to grind their wheat into flour. They also had a laundry slave once a week, so keeping clothes clean was not a problem. They might keep a few animals for food, and in their spare time they often made items to sell in nearby villages. Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Deir el-Medina is that most of the men – and many of the women – could read and write. This was very unusual in Ancient Egypt where the literacy rate was around 1%! Read More