The Wooden Tomb Models of Meketre

I love wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 tomb models so much! As a kid they reminded me of dolls and dollhouses! Another thing I loved about them was how excited my Nonno would get over wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 pieces – he would always talk about how important wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 artifacts were. Since wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 decomposes over time, it is more rare to have wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 artifacts be found in good condition as opposed to stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪. 

The models in this post (and many others) were found in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 of the Royal Chief Steward Meketre who lived during the reign 𓋾 of Montuhotep II 𓏠𓈖𓍿𓅱𓊵𓏏𓊪 and possibly Amenemhat I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓅓𓄂𓏏. Meketre’s high status as an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 is why he was able to afford so many wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models and such an elaborate burial. 

While the main part of Meketre’s tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 had been plundered in ancient times, excavators found a hidden chamber, and that is where all of the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models were found! There were 24 𓎆𓎆𓏽 almost perfectly preserved models found in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. Half of the models are at the MET, while the other half are at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo!

While Egyptian 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐 religious beliefs didn’t necessarily change much over time, some of the customs did! The Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 believed that the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 needed nourishment in the forms of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 and water 𓈗, even in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. During the Old Kingdom, this was achieved by depicting different types of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 production on tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 and chapel walls. In the Middle Kingdom, this practice evolved into placing wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models depicting different types of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥 production in a sealed chamber in the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐. It was thought that the models would hold more magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 power than the carvings! 

This wooden model depicts a slaughterhouse.

Cows 𓄤𓆑𓂋𓏏𓃒𓏦 and geese 𓊃𓂋𓅬𓏦 are being slaughtered by butchers, and dried out meat 𓇋𓅱𓆑𓄹 can be seen hanging above them. Butchery was considered a high status occupation in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, and most of the population did not have access to meat 𓇋𓅱𓆑𓄹 as a type of food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥. Even having access to meat 𓇋𓅱𓆑𓄹 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 was a sign of status!

This model is of a granary 𓊚𓏏𓉐, and the model is divided into two 𓏻 sections.

The “top” section in my picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 is of the actual granary 𓊚𓏏𓉐, where the grain 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦 was stored. The “bottom” section is of the accounting area, where scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 are seen keeping records with supplies such as papyrus rolls 𓅓𓍑𓏏𓏛𓏦 and wooden boards. The ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 relied heavily on grain 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦 for food 𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏔𓏥, so it was an absolute must for them to keep meticulous records about their supply. 

It is interesting to note that there are only six 𓏿 workers carrying/pouring out the grain 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦, while there are nine scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 for record keeping! Either this is a coincidence, or a commentary on just how important scribes 𓏟𓀀𓏪 were to society in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖! 

Another thing I absolutely love about the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models are how detailed they are! If you look at the workers who are pouring grain 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦 into the granary 𓊚𓏏𓉐, they have dust 𓐍𓅓𓅱𓊡 all over their faces! This would be from them pouring the grain 𓈎𓄿𓅱𓏸𓏦, and some of the dust 𓐍𓅓𓅱𓊡 coming back up at them! 

These wooden models are so amazing because they provide a look into some of the more common aspects of life 𓋹 in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, despite the fact that Meketre’s high status as an official 𓋴𓂋𓀀 is why he was able to afford so many wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 models and such an elaborate burial. 

This next model has no people in it! This model is of a “Porch and Garden 𓎛𓊃𓊪𓈈,” and beautifully 𓄤 painted 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 columns (in the form of papyrus plants) can be seen on the porch part.

My favorite part of the model is that there is actually a pool 𓈙𓈇 in the center that could have been potentially filled with water 𓈗! The area around the pool 𓈙𓈇 is lined with sycamore trees 𓈖𓉔𓏏𓆭𓏪, and while it is hard to see in this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, there are little red figs 𓂧𓄿𓃀𓇭𓏪 growing on the branches! Sycamore trees 𓈖𓉔𓏏𓆭𓏪 are commonly associated with the goddess 𓊹𓏏 Hathor 𓉡. 

Some Egyptologists think that this piece would have functioned similarly to a “Soul House,” which we’re clay models that usually had an open court for offerings 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦 or water 𓈗.  This garden 𓎛𓊃𓊪𓈈 model could also be thought of as a libation basin 𓌻𓂋𓈘 (because of the pool 𓈙𓈇 of water𓈗) that is decorated really nicely!