La Population MRT: Une Approche du Problème de la Servitude Dans L'Egypte du III e Millénaire (I) *

Abstract

Mrt-people are well attested in Egyptian sources from the third millennium bc. Usually considered as serfs, a careful examination of texts and titles reveals nevertheless that mrt was the term applied to Egyptians assigned to the periodical compulsory work ordered by the state. The scope of their activities was focused on agricultural labour, and some titles and decrees from the Old Kingdom suggest that they were deeply involved in the foundation of new domains on unproductive land. Finally, as they usually came from peasant communities and from the lower class, mrt-people were sometimes put on a par with similar sections of the Egyptian population, like the rḫjjt-people. In any case, they should not be considered as serfs.