These Thy Libations,Osiris! A Reconsideration of the Four Clay Troughs from the Tomb of Tutankhamun (KV62)

Abstract

While excavating the tomb of Tutankhamun, an enigmatic set of objects was discovered in the Burial Chamber: four clay troughs, also known as mud trays. Originally, these clay troughs were believed to be stands for the emblems found nearby and in close association to them. However, closer examination of the religious and archaeological context of the artefacts enables another interpretation of their function. First, the author compares the four troughs from KV62 with other known examples from the Valley of the Kings, along with previous hypotheses as to the function(s). The article continues with an analysis of the Burial Chamber’s association to Osirian funerary rites, and the long-standing traditions of funerary offerings and rites for the deceased present there. The research concludes with the author’s proposal that the mud trays functioned instead as libation offering basins for a funerary rite likely associated with Osiris.