Dec 04/Jan 05 Archaeological Diggings42

HERES A POPULARbelief, supported by ahost of Internet websites,that the Ancient

Egyptians could not have built thepyramids. They had to have been madeby someone elsealiens perhaps, ormaybe the people of Atlantis Thesestatements are all the easier to makebecause no one knows the exactmethods employed in pyramidconstruction.

An examination of the furnituremade by the Ancient Egyptians might

have led to the same kind ofspeculation, were it not for theinformation concerning its constructionthat has been gleaned from tombpaintings, several models ofwoodworking workshops and the lettersand reports found (principally) at Deirel Medina and Amarna.

The most significant fact that hasbeen learned about the craft in thosedistant times is that woodworkingaswe know it todayalmost certainly hadits origins in Egypt. Lucas and Harris,in Ancient Egyptian Materials and

Industries, say that even as early asthe First Dynasty, the Egyptians wereable to carve wooden statues of nearlife-size and during the Old Kingdom,woodworking reached a high degree ofskill, as is proved... by the carvedwooden panels with relief decorationfrom the tomb of Hesire and the six-plywooden coffin from Saqqara.

Although the country had few treesthat would yield cabinet-grade wood,the native timbers were enough for theAncient Egyptians earliest attempts atwoodworking. But it was not long

WOODWORKING IN ANCIENT EGYPTPart 1: Workshops and the Palace

by Art Burrows

T

Model of a woodworking workshop and now in the Cairo Museum. Made of painted wood, 93 cm (36) long, 52 cm(20) wide and 26 cm (10) high, the model was found in the tomb of the chancellor Meketra at Deir el Bahari

and dates from the late 11th or early 12th Dynasty.

43Archaeological Diggings

Dec 04/Jan 05

before the need for better materials ledto importation. This topic will bediscussed at greater length in the nextissue. Meantime, it may be remarkedthat the very lack of large quantities ofsuitable wood was probably themotivation for the development of someof the ingenious techniques used bythese early woodworkers. Jointing isone of the four essentials ofwoodworkingthe others are cutting,shaping and finishingand thewoodworkers of this period developedvirtually all of the jointing methods inuse today. Lap joints, mortice and tenon,dovetails, saddle jointsthere is hardlya joint that cannot be found even amongwork dated to the Old Kingdom.

The furniture found in the tomb ofthe Fourth Dynasty Queen, Hetepheres(wife of Sneferu, mother of Khufu) wasmade of imported cedar and offers oneof the first demonstrations we have ofthe extraordinary knowledge and skillsthat were evolving at that time.

the opposite page does more thanillustrate the way in which certain taskswere performed. It shows that areas wereset aside for specific crafts and thatwithin those workshops, there was adivision of labour. Note that one manin the workshop is rip-sawing a log (ie.cutting along its length to convert itinto boards); another (behind andimmediately to the sawyers right), iscutting a mortice with a chisel andmallet and there are several otherwoodworkers on the far right, andanother two almost out of sight in front,each of whom has an adze. They appearto be cooperating in the shaping orsurfacing of wooden beams.

THE WORKMEN OFDEIR-EL-MEDINA

While they pertain more to masonsthan carpenters, the letters and reportsfound in the ruins of Deir-el-Medinaextend this view of a highly organisedworkforce. There are reports, forinstance, that contain informationabout the rosters for the various gangs,their idle time and absences. Onerecords that the vizier (PA-Ra-m-Hb)arrived to instruct the gang and thatdraughtsmen and chisellers also joinedthem. The keeping of records doesntseem much different from that whichmight be undertaken in a modernworkshop and the methods of

completing major tasks are also thesame. We still group specialist workersunder sectional leaders who report upthrough a chain of command to thepeople who are ultimately managing theproject.

But what of the tools used by theAncient Egyptian tradesmen? Did theyhave their own? Or were theysuppliedand if so, by whom?

Another report from the samesource speaks of commissioningcoppersmiths to cast tools as well asnoting the delivery of supplies ofcopper; in addition, there are frequentreferences to tools being given to theleft-hand or right-hand gangafurther illustration of the organisationof the workforce and a hint that theencouragement of competitionbetween groups doing similar work wasa management technique, even in thosetimes.

Clearly, the bureaucracy not onlyassigned the work, but also allocatedthe necessary tools and materials. Atleast, this was the case in the workshopsthat served the Pharaoh who wastherefore not only the ultimate managerof every royal workshop, but also theultimate owner of all the tools used inthem.

Of course, the arrangements didntalways work as well as they should. Onereport tells of a worker giving his toolsback to the chief workman. It isnt clearwhich of them thought the tools were

The drawing above shows themorticed housing for the top rail of thecanopy for Queen Hetepheres bed. (Theoriginal canopy had collapsed butenough was found to make an accuratereconstruction). As can be seen, themortice is an unusual shapeaformidable illustration of the AncientEgyptian woodworkers understandingof joint construction and hisconsummate skill in the use of thecopper chisels of the day.

There is, however, another aspectof Ancient Egyptian woodworking thatis easily overlooked. This is the mannerin which it was organised in order toobtain a desired result. The modelcarpenters shop shown in the photo on

A wooden bed found in the tomb of Yuya and Tuya, the parents of Tiy whobecame the wife of Amenhotep III. Their tomb, KV 46, was in

the Valley of the Kings at Luxor.

too small, but the obviouslyundesirable result was that the toolswere not returned to the workman for10 days. Another report complainsabout hunger due to the delay of grainrations from the granary of the Maattemple, then goes on to record thedelivery and distribution of thoserations. So the workers were employed,fed, and, since Deir el Medina was awalled and secure village remote fromThebes, it is reasonable to deduce theywere also housed by their king.

Another insight into how thesystem worked is given in an enquiryby the gang about copper tools which

were in the possession of one named2Awy. Even the stilted phrasing thatresults from translation of the originalhieroglyphs cannot disguise theimplication that the gang could get amite peevish if one among their fellowsdidnt do the right thing with the toolsallocated to him.

The locations of the workshopswould have depended upon the kind ofwork being done. Ancient Egyptianfurniture can be broadly divided intofour groups. At the very top of the listwas royal furniture. This was made forthe Pharaoh and had to be fit for, notmerely a king, but for a god. The chest

shown above (found in the tomb ofTutankhamen) is typical. Howard Carterestimated that there are some 47,000individual pieces of inlay on its foursides and vaulted top. Some royalfurniture was made for the expresspurpose of accompanying the Pharaohto his tomb. Other pieces that made thesame journey, were possibly favouritesin life and came to the burial showingevidence of wear and repair.

Perhaps we should be surprised thatwe have even the relatively smallamount of royal furniture now scatteredthroughout the worlds museums. Whilethe Ancient Egyptians knew how to gilda surface with very thinly beaten gold,much of the gold applied to royalfurniture was quite thick. It wastherefore all the more attractive to atomb robber.

FINE PALACEFURNITURE

The second standard of furniturewas made for the palace. This was thefurniture in daily use by the Pharaohswider family and the members of hiscourt. Much of this was also finefurniture, but it was intended formundane purposes like the storage oflinen. Again, some palace furniturefrom the superb down to the ordinarymade its way into the tombs of oneor other of those to whom it wasrelevant. The small chest shown belowleft is an example of this furniture. Wellproportioned and made, it has no golddecoration; instead, it is painted,perhaps in rough imitation of inlay.

The third standard of furniture wasthat made for and used in the houses ofthe nobles and other leaders in thecommunity scribes perhaps, certainlythe merchants, and probably theoperators of business enterprises suchas breweries or bakeries (at least someof which appear to have been privatelyowned). This furniture was similar tothat used for ordinary living in thepalace though it may have occasionallybeen embellished with gold.

The fourth and final standard wasfor furniture that hardly fits the moderndescription, for it might have beenanything that could be pressed intoservice to perform a desired function.

Chest with domed lid and marquetry panels, 18th Dynasty, Cairo Museum.

Small painted chest, Cairo Museum

44

The workshops that made thehighest standard of furniture must havedealt with a substantial amount of gold.They would have to have been secureestablishments, probably within theprecincts of the palace or so farremoved from the rest of the communityas to diminish the threat of robbery. Wemay therefore assume that there werewoodworking workshops in the Valleyof the Kings and, at least around thetime of the 18th Dynasty, thewoodworkers would have lived in theworkers village of Deir-el-Medina.

The ruins of this village of some68 dwellings is now popular withtourists; (it is generally included onthe itinerary of Diggings tours toEgypt). Situated several kilometres (acouple of miles) from the worksite, it ison the other side of one of the ridgesthat forms the Valley. Given the distance,the nature of the terrain over which theyhad to travel and the fact that theyprobably worked from dawn to dusk,the workmen would have stayed at ornear the worksite. Lynn Meskellcomments on this in her book PrivateLife in New Kingdom Egypt, where shesays: The men left their householdsfor days at a time...

It appears likely that while theirhousehold establishments, comprisingwives, servants and possibly slaves,were located at Deir-el-Medina, whenthe workmen went into the Valley, theywould have been housed close to theirworkshops under the ever-watchfuleyes of the Pharaohs guards.

Even today, the Egyptians make useof reeds and palm fronds for shade andit is no great leap of imagination tosuggest that the workers would havespent their off duty hours in roughdwellings made from theseimpermanent materials.

This roadside stand shows palmfronds still used for shade

Looking into the excavated houses of the workmen who lived at the villagenow called Deir el Medina

Other woodworking workshops,those that made pieces for general use,were probably located in the main cityarea. The furniture produced in themwould have been less pretentious andcertainly would not have included thelavish gold decoration reserved forpieces made for the Pharaoh or hisPalace. But the scarcity of wood andthe modest use of gold would

nevertheless have made the furniture fartoo expensive for the common peopleto purchase.

ABNext Issue: Timber & Tools

Art Burrows is the publisher of TheAustralian Woodworker and was amember of the 2003 Diggings tour toEgypt and Jordan.

Some of the furniture items found in the tomb of Tutankhamen includedvarious stools and chairs. Of particular value was the wooden throne thatwas gilded and decorated with golden lions heads. The back of the thronecontained the famous picture showing the young king being anointed with

sweet smelling oils by his wife, Ankhesamun.