ushebti

Ushebti, also known as shabti or shawabti, were ancient Egyptian funerary figurines. These small statuettes were placed in tombs to act as servants for the deceased in the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians believed that in the afterlife, the deceased would be called upon to perform manual labor in the fields of Osiris. The ushebti were intended to answer this call in their stead.

Typically, ushebti figurines depict a mummified figure holding agricultural tools, such as a hoe and a pickaxe, and often carrying a seed basket over their shoulder. This imagery reinforced their role as agricultural laborers. Many ushebti were inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead, specifically Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead, which instructed the figurine to respond when the deceased was summoned for work.

The number of ushebti found in a tomb varied greatly depending on the wealth and status of the individual. Wealthier burials could contain hundreds of these figurines, sometimes organized into sets representing different agricultural tasks or divisions of the afterlife. The earliest known ushebti date back to the Middle Kingdom, and they remained a common funerary item throughout much of ancient Egyptian history, including the New Kingdom and later periods. Their presence in tombs provides valuable insight into ancient Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife and the preparations made for it.