Reading a burial chamber: anatomy of a first intermediate period coffin in context

The coffin of Henu from Dayr al-Barsha is a rare example of a First Intermediate Period coffin that was found in its original intact context. Considering this coffin as a material object, and as part of a purposely conceived set of burial equipment, permits the reconstruction of certain aspects of the course of the funeral. The choice of offering formulae inscribed on the coffin, moreover seems to complement the selection of tomb models in the chamber, showing that one can only ‘read’ such a burial by considering all elements together, and not by looking at the objects individually.