Shabtis are mummified statues that are found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. They represented the dead and their servants. In the past the Egyptians killed and buried servants with their master so they could serve them in the afterlife. However, this tradition was abandoned and small statues representing each servant were placed in Egyptian tombs. This shabti dates from 1575BC, from the 19th-22nd dynasty and is approximately 3000 years old. It was found in a tomb in Abydos, which is part of upper Egypt, 300 miles south of Cairo. Europeans have long been fascinated by Egypt and have visited ancient sites and collected souvenirs. From the 1880s, Egypt was also occupied and ruled by Britain. As a result many British archaeologists were allowed to excavate ancient Egyptian sites and to return home with the results of their work.
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