Bound Within a Box: Examination of Execration Figurines of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Abstract

Rituals against enemies, including the execration rituals and texts, have been studied at some length. However, the gaps in knowledge about the rituals, and the potential sources that must remain unexcavated in the field or unrecognized in museum storerooms have been lamented by scholars. Often overlooked in storage or even on display, many execration figures lack the definitive provenance that might make them more appealing to researchers. The Egyptian Museum in Cairo holds a significant collection of execration figurines. The present contribution is the result of research undertaken at the EMC concerning three groups of execration figurines and associated objects. The three groups feature one or more figurines contained inside a distinctively shaped Egyptian alabaster container, thus making them unique among execration deposits. This paper aims to place the material studied within the larger scope of the study of execration figurines through a detailed examination of possible find spots, dating, and parallels for the figurines and associated objects.