Before ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ) were placed in tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ช with the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ!
These precursor-ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers of protection ๐ ๐๐ก๐, resurrection, and regeneration. The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth ๐ฑ and placed in the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ. The coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ could identify what itโs job was), but it did identify the name ๐๐ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (๐๐๐ต๐ an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ as if it were a real one!
If these figures werenโt workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ be destroyed.
These particular wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures belonged to Queen Neferu, who lived during the 11th Dynasty (c. 2051โ2030B.C.E) during the reign of Montuhotep II ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ ฑ๐ต๐๐ช. Her tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ had many of these wax ๐ ๐๐๐ธ๐ฆ figures, however in general, not many similar ones have been found (in comparison to the amount of ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช that have been found).
Ushabtis ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ๐ช evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom.
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