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Deir el-Medina strikes

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Ancient Egyptian strike

Ancient artisans’ village in Deir el-Medina

The Deir el-Medina strikes were a series of strikes by the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Egyptian Valley of the Kings, the most notable of which occurred in the 29th year of the reign of Ramesses III (circa 1158 BC).[1][2] The primary cause of the strike was Ramesses' inability to provide supplies, including wheat rations, to the workers and their families, and workers were forced to buy their own wheat. The workers pleaded with the site officials, who ignored their complaints. The workers then went on strike and marched en masse to the office of the vizier, who authorised the release of grain from the funerary temples, and the workers returned to work temporarily.

The initial Deir el-Medina strike is considered the earliest recorded collective labour action. Labour problems continued in the 20th Dynasty due to price increases for grain.

Background<br>[edit]

Main article: Deir el-Medina

Deir el-Medina<br>[edit]

The community of artisans at Deir el-Medina worked on the construction and decorations of the royal tombs. The town was home to the workers and their families for roughly 450 years, beginning with the 18th Dynasty until the end of the 20th Dynasty.[3] The workers were divided into various roles. The chief workman directed the workers and represented them as a group in any dealings with the authorities; they were approached concerning community legal matters, settled disputes, and received correspondence from the vizier.[4] Deputies, four to each work group, acted as a member of the court (the Kenbet) and witnessed both legal and commercial interactions. The deputies also participated in investigated and inspections, especially those associated with strikes. Scribes, second in rank only to the chief, were responsible for the administrative progress of the tomb, for maintaining order, and were expected to encourage the artisans to return to work during the strikes; they reported directly to the vizier.[5] The "captains of the tomb", a group of scribes and chiefs, wielded collective authority over the tomb and jointly distributed both grain rations and material for the workers; they were also responsible for the workers' behaviour and bringing them back to work from strikes.[6] The workers were provided with male serfs, who received payment in grain from the scribes, and also with groups of women slaves, who were provided by the king to grind the workers' grain payments into flour on the grindstones in the village.[7]

Workers resided in the village with their families but spent their days working in the Valley of the Kings, and therefore stayed in nearby huts overnight. They worked for eight days in two, four-hour shifts, with a lunch break at noon, and then returned to the village on the ninth and tenth days.[8]

The community had its own police force, known as medjay, who were Nubian nomads in the Old and Middle Kingdoms, who both protected the workforce and were involved in ensuring good conduct from the workers.[6]

Deir el-Medina was unique as an artisan, rather than agricultural settlement, where workers were well-paid and they and their families had a higher degree of literacy than villagers elsewhere. Workers were aware of their importance as the tomb-makers and decorators for kings and nobles; when their wages (food supplies) were in arrears, they could complain directly to the vizier (second in command to only the pharaoh) and later to the high priest of Amun at Karnak.[9]

Economics<br>[edit]

Ostracon detailing the delivery of provisions to Deir el-Medina<br>Circa 1178 BC, the Sea Peoples, a sea-faring confederation, attempted a massive invasion of Egypt, following two previous attempts to conquer Egypt, during the reigns of Ramesses II and his successor Merneptah. Although the Sea Peoples were previously defeated, the third invasion force was significantly larger and Ramesses' forces and resources were fewer. Ramesses III responded by instituting a kingdom-wide conscription campaign to bolster the military, and was ultimately successful in the Battle of the Delta. While Ramesses achieved victory, the battles cost a considerable number of Egyptian lives, resulting in, among other things, a loss of labour for the kingdom's farms and a smaller harvest.

During this period, there was evidence of grain inflation and it is suspected that a series of failed or diminished harvests impeded the ability of the ruler to pay workers throughout Egypt. Due to the large number of people employed by the government, and the hierarchy of officials who were paid first, it is possible that the grain meant for the artisans was already distributed to others by the...