The Delay of the Grain Ration and its Social Consequences at Deir El-Medîna in the Twentieth Dynasty: A Statistical Analysis

Delay in the distribution of grain rations regularly occurred at Deir el-Medîna during the Twentieth Dynasty. In order to analyse the cause and social consequence of such delay, a statistical analysis of documents recording grain deliveries is presented, using both the delay and the absence of grain distribution, through an index specifically built for this purpose. Despite a complex circuit of cereals, organised to maintain an even grain supply, seasonal fluctuations are demonstrated by the analysis. These played an important role in the delay of grain distribution.