Who were the mummy-shaped figures that worked in the after

life's fields for a mummy?

http://www.google.com/search?q=shabtis&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7SUNA

=)

The mummy-shaped figures that worked in the afterlife's fields for a mummy are known as shabtis or ushabtis. Shabtis were small figurines made of various materials such as wood, faience, or clay, and they were buried with the deceased in ancient Egyptian tombs.

The purpose of these shabtis was to serve as substitute laborers for the deceased in the afterlife. It was believed that in the afterlife, the deceased would continue their daily activities, including farming and cultivating the fields. The shabtis were created to perform this work on behalf of the deceased, so that they could enjoy a peaceful afterlife.

To ensure that the shabtis would be ready to do the work, they were often inscribed with a spell known as the "Shabti Formula." This spell was a magical invocation that would animate the shabtis and compel them to carry out the tasks assigned to them.

In order to identify the shabtis that belonged to a specific mummy, they were often marked with the owner's name or other identifying details. These shabtis could vary in number, depending on the wealth and status of the deceased individual. Some tombs contained hundreds of shabtis, while others had only a few.

To learn more about these mummy-shaped figures and their role in ancient Egyptian beliefs, you can consult books or academic articles on ancient Egyptian funerary practices and mythology, or visit museums that exhibit Egyptian artifacts. The British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Louvre Museum are just a few examples of institutions that have extensive collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts.