Artisans

Egypt's finest artisans were associated with the royal palace and temples, others were housed in state run villages close to royal tombs.

Generally, artisans worked in teams, with each person specialising in a particular stage of production; in this manner, craft workshops operated like factories with production lines.

Artisans decorating royal or private tombs practised their work on pieces of stone taken from the ground, these are referred to as ostraca. Some have decoration on both sides