Wooden tomb model

Wooden tomb models were deposited as grave goods in the tombs and burial shafts throughout early Egyptian History, most notably in the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. They included a wide variety of wooden figurines and scenes, such as boats, granaries, baking and brewing scenes and butchery scenes.

These models served as ways to preserve the action depicted for eternity in honor of the dead. The use of wood rather than other materials became popular in the First Intermediate Period. Over time the models of boats, in particular, went from life size to much smaller scale though they remained numerous, some boats being less than a meter in length and fleets at times being larger than 50 models.