The Ubiquitous Shabti: A Study of Regional Variation

Jocelyn Boor

Shabtis are the funerary figurines created by the ancient Egyptians as magical objects to work for the deceased in the Afterlife. They initially appeared during the First Intermediate Period (ca. 2195-2066 BCE), and displayed a variety of forms, iconography and inscriptions. Several other items in the Egyptian funerary assemblage are known to exhibit regional variation, such as coffins and mummy wrappings. This preliminary study investigates the potential regional variation of the figurines. The three phases of research include the design and implementation of a comparative database using the published collections of five European museums; a statistical analysis of 338 provenanced shabtis from these collections with the MVDA, ANOVA, and INDVAL tests to determine potential indicators for regional profiles; and the assessment and dating of the unpublished Milwaukee Public Museum collection. The results suggest continued research in the area of regional variation would further uncover the internal complexities of ancient Egypt.

« Back