The Workmen's Village was created by the Pharaohs to house the workmen who excavated and decorated the tombs. Much is known about the individual workmen from their tombs which they dug and decorated in the nearby hillside. Also many workmen were literate and wrote notes and made drawings on ostraka (flakes of stone from the tomb excavations). There were also official records, made by the state officials who kept records of how often the workmen worked, what gangs were scheduled to work, and the assignment of housing and rations.

The workmen and their families did not farm, there were designated farmers, fishers, laundry personnel and others to take care of their daily needs. They were paid in grain and other foods and services. They earned extra goods and services by making tombs and funerary objects for private individuals. They decorated their neighborhood tombs in vivid style.

The workmen's village existed for over 300 years. Many families lived there for generations, each providing skilled artists for the tombs of the Pharaoh's and their queens.

Click the thumbnails below for detail views around the Workmen's Village.