The Petrie Museum’s Collection of Funerary Wooden Models: Investigating Chronology and Provenance

Abstract

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL houses a diverse collection of funerary wooden models. These objects, deposited in the tombs of the Egyptian elites between the end of the Old Kingdom and the Middle Kingdom to guarantee the deceased a wholesome rebirth, come from excavations carried out or purchased by W.M F. Petrie in Egypt. Complete or fragmentary, with an often unclear archaeological context, these objects constitute a particularly interesting source of information on wood craftsmanship. The comparative study of this material will shed new light on this form of artisanal production by specifying its chronology and origins, but also on the archaeological works and the acquisitions of Petrie in Egypt from the end of the 19 th century.