Village on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes, halfway between Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum. The workers involved in the building of the tombs in the Valley of the Kings lived here. The village was inhabited for about 500 years, from early in the 18th Dynasty until late in the Ramesside Period. Besides the houses of the workers, there are also many of their tombs, sometimes beautifully decorated. The best known is that of Sennedjem (19th Dynasty). Further, there is a temple dedicated to various gods. This was built in the 18th Dynasty and rebuilt in the Ptolemaic Period. Numerous texts have been found in Deir el-Medinah, mainly on ostraca but also on papyrus. They not only contain literary texts but also administrative documents, notes and letters. Together, these texts provide a detailed picture of life in the village.