Abstract
The household assemblage at Deir el-Medina reflects the abandonment process of the village rather than the areas of household activity. The analysis of immobile features is therefore more reliable as a source of information than the study of artefacts. An important immovable feature of the houses at Deir el-Medina is the platform (the so-called lits clos). It is shown that these platforms served as house altars. The custom of building house altars — perhaps inspired by the shape of official temple altars — was probably established during the reign of Amenhotep III in Malkata, and continued until the Third Intermediate Period. Apart from Amarna, this custom was confined to the Theban area.
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