Inventory number

General description

The Turin Strike Papyrus

The so-called “Strike Papyrus” is a hieratic (a cursive form of ancient Egyptian writing) administrative papyrus reporting the news of a strike that took place during the reign of Ramses III. The report on the papyrus was written by Amunnakht, scribe of the “Goldmine Papyrus” and the “Tomb Plan”.

The political and economic difficulties during this time resulted in the suspension of rations to the workmen, which triggered a lengthy conflict between the villagers and the government authorities. The workmen first broke off their work in November and spent several days in the necropolis of Thebes, and later in the temple of Thutmose III and in that of Ramesses II, while requesting the authorities to deliver to them the grain rations that had not been paid to them that month. The authorities paid the due amount of grain to the workmen, but several days later they strike again, this time seeking refuge in the temple of Seti I. The authorities order the return of the workmen to the village, but they refuse, saying that they want to complain about their poor working conditions directly with the Pharaoh. 

The rest of the papyrus records the statement of a workman regarding the crimes of three other workmen, a small memorandum about the death of a scribe from the village, an attendance sheet, an account of items given by Userhat to his former wife, as well as several oaths, and texts dealing with the distribution of grain.