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Crafts and Makers: Ancient Egypt

A ten‑minute journey through the workshops, workshops, and scribal offices that created Egypt’s famed metalwork, textiles, pottery, and writing.

Chapters

• 0:07 The Artisan Village of Deir el-Medina
• 1:34 Metalworking and Goldsmithing
• 3:55 Weaving, Textiles and Pottery
• 5:04 Scribes and the Written Word

On-screen text

• 0:07 The Artisan Village of Deir el-Medina
• 0:14 The Artisan Village of Deir el-Medina
• 0:31 Artisan village at Deir el-Medina Historical record · Deir el-Medina excavation reports (M. L. Bierbrier, 1975)
• 0:49 Copper tools of stone cutters Historical record · Excavations at Deir el-Medina, copper tool assemblage (J. Baines, 1995)
• 1:07 Steatite scarab seals as trademarks Historical record · Scarabs from the Middle Kingdom, British Museum (BM 10045)
• 1:25 Mason teams carving temple columns The Institute's interpretation · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 5.23 (1st c. BC)
• 1:34 Metalworking and Goldsmithing
• 1:41 Metalworking and Goldsmithing
• 1:58 Gold collar with granulation Historical record · Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gold Collar of Tutankhamun (Acc. 78.7.1)
• 2:16 Bronze Hapi statue, lost‑wax cast Historical record · Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Bronze Statue of Hapi (Late Period)
• 2:34 Amarna Letter on metal gifts Historical record · Amarna Letters, EA 1 (c. 1350 BC)
• 2:52 Herodotus on thin gold sheets The Institute's interpretation · Herodotus, Histories 2.152 (5th c. BC)
• 3:10 Egyptian glass beads described by Pliny The Institute's interpretation · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 33.5 (1st c. AD)
• 3:28 Gold symbolism in Papyrus of Ani Historical record · Papyrus of Ani (Papyrus 1046, 19th Dynasty)
• 3:46 Golden statue in Westcar tale Tradition / scripture · Westcar Papyrus (Papyrus Leiden I 344)
• 3:55 Weaving, Textiles and Pottery
• 4:02 Weaving, Textiles and Pottery
• 4:19 Weavers depicted in Nakht’s tomb Historical record · Tomb of Nakht (TT52) wall paintings, Thebes
• 4:37 Fine linen from Nebamun’s tomb Historical record · British Museum, linen fragment BM 10045 from the tomb of Nebamun
• 4:55 Painted Amarna pottery Historical record · Amarna pottery assemblage, excavated by B. B. Williams (1970)
• 5:04 Scribes and the Written Word
• 5:11 Scribes and the Written Word
• 5:28 Gold symbolism in Papyrus of Ani Historical record · Papyrus of Ani (Papyrus 1046, 19th Dynasty)
• 5:46 Amarna Letter on metal gifts Historical record · Amarna Letters, EA 1 (c. 1350 BC)
• 6:04 Golden statue in Westcar tale Tradition / scripture · Westcar Papyrus (Papyrus Leiden I 344)

Sources

Historical record: Deir el-Medina excavation reports (M. L. Bierbrier, 1975) · Excavations at Deir el-Medina, copper tool assemblage (J. Baines, 1995) · Scarabs from the Middle Kingdom, British Museum (BM 10045) · Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gold Collar of Tutankhamun (Acc. 78.7.1) · Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Bronze Statue of Hapi (Late Period) · Amarna Letters, EA 1 (c. 1350 BC) · Papyrus of Ani (Papyrus 1046, 19th Dynasty) · Tomb of Nakht (TT52) wall paintings, Thebes · British Museum, linen fragment BM 10045 from the tomb of Nebamun · Amarna pottery assemblage, excavated by B. B. Williams (1970)

Tradition / scripture: Westcar Papyrus (Papyrus Leiden I 344)

The Institute's interpretation: Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 5.23 (1st c. BC) · Herodotus, Histories 2.152 (5th c. BC) · Pliny the Elder, Natural History 33.5 (1st c. AD)

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 170 s of CPU.