Deir El-Medina (2014)
Deir El-Medina was an Egyptian community of artisans and workers who helped construct tombs, temples, and monuments in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. This was a community of ‘regular’ people going about their everyday life. Archaeologists from Stanford University recently tested human remains found at Deir el-Medina to gain new insight into health care during the New Kingdom’s 18th to 20th centuries. The Stanford report highlighted a health care system that included paid sick days, free clinic visits for check-ups, and care for disabled workers. Stanford scholar Anne Austin noted the work-oriented mindset of Deir El-Medina residents. One mummy had osteomyelitis but continued to work as the infection spread. This work ethic is similar to a modern mindset, “Rather than take the time off, for whatever reason, he kept going.”