Lisa Sartini, Egyptologist with a PhD from the University of Pisa, is mainly devoted to the study of wooden coffins as part of the Medjehu project. Her research focuses on New Kingdom wooden coffins, in particular the so-called “black” coffins with yellow decoration, which were the main subject of her Master’s and Doctoral theses. As result of this study, she was able to propose new chronological and classification protocols for this type of coffin.
The multidisciplinary approach she adopts to the study of coffins includes the investigation of the decoration (iconography and inscriptions), construction (carpentry methods, construction techniques) and the social context of the coffin owners. The aim is to shed light on the production of coffins at the time, including the identification of different workshops and specific craftmanship
techniques.
In addition to the cataloguing and documenting the coffins from Deir el-Medina that have preserved on site, she is continuing her research by examining all aspects of coffin decoration, construction and related social networks and enabling it to precisely identify the context of origin of these artefacts. This research will contribute to the understanding of woodcraft production in the village.