Social archaeology, social relations and archaeological materials: Social power as depicted in the wall art in the Tombs of the Pharaoh's tomb-builders, Deir el-Medina, Egypt, XVIII-XX dynastie

This thesis is an examination of the goals and methods of social archaeology. This is accomplished by examining the history of archaeological thought and the factors which gave rise to the need for a social archaeology. Then, the social archaeological method is explained and finally is applied in a case study which seeks to understand social power structures from wall art which decorated the walls of the private tombs of the tomb builders during the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt. The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate how a social archaeological study would work. The thesis concludes with some remarks on the positive and negative points of the social archaeological method.